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.

DO NOT EVER GIVE UP

In one way or another we have all tasted fear -- a near miss on the highway, the crippling panic of a personal loss, or the looming fear of the unexpected.

Very few of us, however, have lived through intense spiritual persecution or the threat of a martyr's death.As God's kingdom grows throughout the world, the Church is enduring oppression and restriction from outside forces that would like to crush it. Our brothers and sisters in far off places know that their faith in Christ could put them -- or their immediate family -- in harm's way.

In the west, we experience hostility because of our faith in a slightly different way. Though we have many freedoms, there is a decided air of resistance to our open expression of faith in this culture. At times this is discouraging or even crippling to us, but we know that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV). In his last letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul is literally saying, "shake off your timidity. Shake off your fear.

Shake off your discouragement. Don't ever give up."God wants you to trust Him so that you can face your fears in His strength. As He stands beside you, you will be able to serve Him like you never thought possible.

THE FIVE FINGER PRAYER

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself.

By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

MOTHERS DAY MESSAGE

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up puke laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, 'It's okay honey, Mommy's here' .

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted. This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpool s and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T. This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at fo otball, hockey or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, 'Did you see me, Mom?' they could say, 'Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world,' and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp th eir feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies.

And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.For all the mothers who read 'Goodnight, Moon' twice a night for a year. And then read it again. 'Just one more time.'This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who o pted for Velcro instead.This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls 'Mom?' in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college.This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them. For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway?Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home?Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...

And mature mothers learning to let go. For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers withoutThis is for you all. For all of us.

Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them. And pray.