Jesus makes an interesting request of the disciples after He feeds the 5000.
John 6:12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.”
After Jesus feeds the 5000, there’s food leftover – so much that the disciples filled 12 baskets full. Jesus just fed 5000 people. He obviously had the divine power of God to call down any quantity. Why the concern over the leftovers when He had an infinite supply?
Two lessons I close on from Jesus’ command to the disciples. First, He wants them as well as ourselves to realize that everything comes from the hand of God. Therefore, don’t squander what God has graciously given. Nothing happens to us that is outside of God’s control – even the days that are the pits and the events of days like that! Don’t squander them wishing they would finally come to an end. God is working! Don’t squander the opportunity to see God working in your everyday life! There is something He’s trying to teach you, to show you. He’s trying to draw you nearer to Him. Don’t squander that opportunity.
The second lesson is that God doesn’t waste anything. Even with the unlimited supply, Jesus’ concern is that nothing goes by wasted. If Jesus was concerned that the bread and fish not go to waste, surely He is also concerned that the afflictions that He allows to come into our day are not wasted either! God doesn’t waste anything, but uses everything!
The psalmist wrote in the 119 chapter that,
Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes.
I’d like to restate this to close:
“It is good that I had, “one of those days”. Look at what I learned from God!”
