August 22, 2024 Devo

Several years ago, there was a woman who was arrested for theft. She was convicted and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Just before she was sent to jail, she was diagnosed by a doctor with a chronic heart condition that was going to take her life. She needed a heart transplant. The doctor said she could live about six months without it. So the judge suspended her jail sentence and released her to pursue the heart transplant. Shortly after release, she was reprimanded by the court because she continued to smoke despite her life-threatening condition. A few weeks later, she was arrested again for petty larceny for stealing from three different drug stores. Her former sentence was reinstated, and another six months was added for her current charges. She was returned to prison to serve until she died.
What a pity. Some people don’t know what to do when they’re given a second chance or a gift from God. Some gifts are not just amazing, they are profoundly undeserved. Yet God in His grace and mercy gives them. They are gifts of forgiveness. They are gifts of provision. They are gifts of protection. They are gifts that are outright miracles.
Jesus once again gives us a good model to follow. Don’t waste it. In our story of the feeding of thousands, not only did Jesus multiply the fish and bread to feed everyone, but there were LEFTOVERS! But Jesus didn’t let the leftovers just get thrown away or trampled underfoot. Notice what He says. “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” To Jesus, the miracle that fed the masses was a sacred moment. Each multiplied morsel of food was as sacred as the manna that God had provided in the wilderness. Jesus wasn’t going to just let that get tossed aside. He wanted it put to use. Perhaps He and His disciples took it back to town where they were able to eat from it yet again. Perhaps He had them distribute it to the poor who were hungry. However they put it to use, He maximized the moment. God’s gifts are meant to be valued.
Take that to heart this week. Whatever gift God has given you, make sure you value it well. If it’s provision, make sure you’re a good steward of what God blesses you with. If it’s protection, make sure you honor that gift with wise choices and grateful prayers. If it’s grace, then let that grace spur you to walking closer to God with commitment and obedience. Just make sure there’s one thing that you DON’T do with the gift of God. Don’t waste it. That’s God’s Word for you today.