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b'Have you ever cleaned up something really grimy? My parents own a used car lot, and when I was growing up, sometimes I would do some cleaning around the shop to earn extra money. The office was never too bad, but the garage? You couldn\\u2019t even see the countertop! All you could see was oil, grease, and other gunk that piles up when you\\u2019re working on cars. It was so satisfying to wipe away all of that junk to reveal the nice countertop that had been there all along.\\nSometimes, when we look at the world, it\\u2019s like looking at that countertop in the garage: all we can see is grime and grease. The world is caked in sin, suffering, and death\\u2014injustice abounds, hatred flourishes, and confusion reigns. It\\u2019s easy to think that the darkness is winning.\\nBut the truth is, all sin will one day be blown away in the wind like it\\u2019s nothing\\u2014powerless. That\\u2019s what we see in Psalm 1:4\\u2014the brokenness of the world is like chaff, which is a part of wheat. It\\u2019s a thin skin that surrounds the wheat kernel. It\\u2019s pretty useless to humans, and part of the harvesting process includes throwing the wheat kernels in the air so the wind can blow away the chaff. Then, you\\u2019re left with the nutritious, life-sustaining wheat kernel.\\nThat\\u2019s the hope Jesus brings. Even though the curse of sin has coated this good world in junk, Jesus has broken that curse permanently. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He defeated suffering and death, and He promises to return to blow it all away like chaff in the wind. Until then, we can rest in His goodness and participate in His kingdom-building work\\u2014including wiping grimy countertops. \\u2022 Taylor Eising\\n\\u2022 What are some injustices and hurts that you see in the world? You can bring these to God in prayer, knowing that He cares. \\n\\u2022 How does knowing that Jesus will set everything right someday affect the way we live now? \\n\\u2022 Any time we rely on the Holy Spirit to help us follow God\\u2019s call to care for creation (Genesis 1:28), love our neighbor (Mark 12:31), seek justice (Micah 6:8), or any of God\\u2019s other commands, we are participating in God\\u2019s kingdom-building work. We can do this in many ways\\u2014through jobs, relationships, school, ministry, and much more. What talents and passions has God given you? How can you use these for His kingdom?\\nNo longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. Revelation 22:3 (NLT)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nMatthew 10:17-20; 26-31; Hebrews 12:2-3'