THAT NOTHING BE WASTED!!

My dear friends
May this minister to you as it ministered to me!!!

That Nothing Be Wasted
Submitted by Cliff Sanders on Sat, 02/16/2008 - 15:13.

Americans live in a land of abundance and yet so much is wasted. I believe it was the writer of Poor Richard’s Almanac who quoted the Puritan proverb “waste not – want not”. God our creator values all things. In Jesus’ miracle of multiplication we see the heart of God. In John 6:1-15 a lad gave his meagre lunch to Jesus. Jesus took those five loaves and two fishes and miraculously fed over 5,000 men plus women and children. Twelve baskets of food were left over. Jesus told his disciples to gather up the fragments “so that nothing is wasted” (John 6:12 NLT).

The devil is in the wasting business. Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy, I have come that they might have life and they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 NKJV). “The destroyer lays waste at noonday” (Psalm 91:6). Satan wastes lives, dreams, and marriages – God’s work is redemptive so that nothing be wasted. Joel gave us God’s promise to even restore “the years that the locust and cankerworm has eaten” (Joel 2:25-27).

The boy who gave his lunch to Jesus did a remarkable thing. When you give what you have to Jesus, it is never wasted. God will use it in miraculous ways to bless others. That none be wasted is God’s plan and promise. Consider some things that that are never wasted when we give them to Jesus.

First – YOUR LIFE. When you give your life to Christ Jesus, it is never wasted for it is eternal. (John 3:16) When you present your body to God it becomes a living sacrifice to bless others and to glorify God. (Romans 12:1-2)
A young man served God passionately and felt a call to be a missionary. He dedicated his life to that cause but he was tragically killed in one of the school shootings in an American high school. Some would say that his young life was wasted. But God has a purpose for each of His children and brings good out of evil. (Romans 8:28) At his funeral, many of his classmates committed their lives to Christ. Paul the apostle said, “I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him until that day” (II Timothy 1:12 NKJV).

Second – YOUR SORROWS. God doesn’t waste our sorrows. He uses them to build our faith and work God’s grace, character, and eternal purposes into our lives and through our lives. God takes note of our tears and gathers them in His bottle that none be wasted. (Psalm 56:8) He rewards godly tears. (Psalm 126:5; Luke 7:44; II Timothy 1:4) One day God will wipe away all tears from our eyes. (Revelation 7:17; 21:4) Don’t waste your sorrows give them to Jesus.

Third – YOUR PRAYERS. The prayers of God’s children are never wasted. They are collected in golden bowls. They are as incense to God – they are never forgotten and are always active, even after our departure from this earth. (Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4) It would seem from heaven’s standpoint that all spiritual victories are won, not primarily from the pulpit or in the public light, but in the secret place of prayer.

Fourth – YOUR DREAMS AND DESIRES are never wasted when you give them to the Lord. (Psalm 37:4-5) Even if those dreams are not fully realized on earth, God knows our heart and there will be a reward for your godly desires and motives. Even for those whose lives are seemingly cut short on earth there is a great reward. (Hebrews 11:35-40; I Corinthians 3:9-15)
Have you given everything to Jesus Christ? A young martyr for Christ said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose.” When you give your all to Jesus nothing will be wasted.