One of the principles that brings me great comfort is knowing God doesn’t waste anything. God didn’t create the world and have leftover parts. Unlike myself! When I assemble something, I invariably have parts left over… at least an extra nut or bolt, but this is not the case with God. He does all things perfectly, and on my best day, I am a long way from that standard.

What is significant to me about this is the statement it makes about the difficult, disappointing, and even bad aspects of my life. Those times are not wasted time either. Consider for a moment what the scriptures have to say about the various aspects of our lives, even the tough times.

Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
II Corinthians 1: 3-5: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
James 1:2-4: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Romans 5:3-4: “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope…”

These wonderful verses assure us that even the most difficult and painful aspects of our lives are not wasted.

All things are not good,
but God will cause all things to
work together for our good.

Trials and tribulations are never easy, but God uses them to perfect our faith and character. Afflictions are painful, but God not only brings comfort, He uses those experiences in our lives for us to help others going through similar circumstances. The pain and loss we experience, God uses to enable us to be vessels of His comfort and ministry to others. In God’s economy, NOTHING is wasted.

One of my favorite names for Jesus is “Redeemer.” It reminds me of how we used to save “green stamps” when I was a boy. The stamps were not really worth anything, but you could take them to what was called the Green Stamp Redemption Store, and redeem them for all kinds of things. These days it is like winning tickets at an arcade, you can trade them in for candy, toys, or stuffed animals. It is the practice of trading something without any real value and exchanging it for something that has real value. That is what redemption is! When the Redeemer redeems us, the brokenness of our lives is exchanged for something of eternal value. Every difficult, painful circumstance, every trial and tribulation, every grief and loss, are all used by God in our lives and sometimes even in the lives of others. He uses these things for good, taking that which is hard and even bad, and redeeming it all for our benefit and for His purposes and His glory!

What a Redeemer!
Nothing is wasted!
What a glorious God we serve!

Ash Wednesday

As Lent commences on Ash Wednesday, we are entering a time of introspection and prayer leading to Easter. Let us reflect on the significance of death preceding resurrection, urging readers to embrace a daily practice of surrendering self in preparation for our spiritual transformation.

Being Connected

Despite being more technologically linked than ever, studies now show loneliness and disconnection are at an all-time high. How does this trend truly affect your spiritual life and personal connection with God?

Maintaining a Life of Integrity

Every believer agrees that maintaining our integrity is one of best things we could for our spiritual life, but does it have to be so difficult. Read more to find out how to build consistency with maintaining your integrity.

Who You Are When No One is Looking

In a broken world that is constantly trying to bring us down, striving for genuine righteousness throughout our lives is not easy, but the good news is… it is possible.

Five Things You May Not Know About the Lord’s Prayer

Do you Pray “The Prayer?” This prayer unites Christians in all parts of the world. Though the Lord’s Prayer is well known to believers everywhere, when you look hard at its words, you can learn from how this prayer can guide and impact your daily life.

The Cross

The cross casts the most significant shadow in all of human history. It is where we see the righteousness, justice, and love of God working together for our great good. This Easter, our thoughts are centered around the cross, upon which Jesus Christ was crucified.

Lion and the Lamb

The scriptures speak of Jesus in extremes, as both the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. The most important thing to remember is that Jesus is always able to be exactly what you need!

An Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

Everyone has their own opinion about what has happened at the events sounding the revival at Asbury University. But it is hard to deny there is truly a movement of God taking place.

Three Ways Christian Leaders Lead Differently

Here are three key aspects of leadership to consider if you want to lead from a true Biblical perspective.

Trust But Verify

In order to navigate between what is true in our world today, the adage “trust, but verify,” is an essential concept as we learn to discern God’s voice from all the other voices surrounding us.

Proclamation and Practice

In many parts of the world, Christians can practice their faith but can not proclaim it. Does your life help others see and hear the Gospel?

The Battle Plan

Most Christians would agree that we are involved in a battle. Paul speaks of this battle and gives us four keys to fighting successfully in this spiritual engagement. Let’s look at each of these four crucial components for victory in the battle.