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Nothing is Wasted in God's Economy
Andrea Lende • October 30, 2021
I Corinthians 15:57-58
There is Nothing Wasted in God’s Economy
You can listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Nothing-is-Wasted-in-Gods-Economy-e19ht4q
I Corinthians 15:57-58
“But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose].”
This passage encourages me today.
Paul calls us victors and conquerors.
We are victors and conquerors through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus we are made righteous in God’s eyes.
Paul encourages us to have courage.
He encourages us to stay strong and keep moving forward.
Keep serving the Lord.
Surely there are times we want to give up.
Times when we feel we aren’t making a difference.
It seems easier to pull in and just do life.
After all, there’s plenty of life’s tasks to take up our time and energy.
However, Paul assures us our sacrifice to serve, and our time and energy are never wasted in God’s economy.
He assures us our actions do have a purpose in God’s plan.
I am in awe when I think about all the moving pieces God controls.
Only He knows how they all fit together and work together to make His plan come to fruition.
His will is always done.
He makes all things come to pass.
It is simply my role to do what He asks me to do.
He will do the rest.
He will put all the pieces of the puzzle together perfectly.
So, today I will continue to serve Him knowing everything I do is a part of His plan.
May you find the Lord grants you the courage and strength to keep doing what He asks you to do, so His perfect will is done through you.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for Your perfect plan. Thank You for working out all things for my good and Your glory. Lord, help me serve You even when I feel it doesn’t make a difference in the world. Help me always do what You ask of me. Help me know that everything I do in service to You is part of Your bigger plan. Help me move forward even in the face of discouragement. Do not let me be dissuaded by the opinions of others or any negativity. Don’t let me look to the world for acceptance or praise. Your acceptance and love are all I need. May I do everything unto You, Lord. Help me serve You with vim and vigor. Help me serve You with joy and thankfulness. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the Great I AM. I have a plan for you, My child, and all is going according to My plan.
Response: Help me walk boldly into Your will and Your plan for my life, Father. Help me serve You in all I do.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.