Nothing is Wasted

Nothing is wasted...Not one thing...

I pray that's as good to you today as it to me.

I don't know what you may be facing, going through, just went through or about to go through, but I do know that I've been reminded today that none of it is wasted, and I just wanted to pass along the good news.

We are certain to face many things in this life. Things that can be good and things that can be bad. I'm thankful that we can praise God in the good things and because nothing is wasted, I'm thankful that we can make a sacrifice of praise even in the bad things. I could make a list of all the possible bad things we can experience, have already experienced or may be going to experience in this life, but I don't feel it necessary. We can all stop for a few moments and think of those things. Those things that catch us unaware, unprepared.  Those things that punch the breath out of us and leave us gasping for air. Those things that hurt so bad we think we won't survive. Those things that paralyze us and try to stop us from moving forward. Those things that hurt. Those things we have to work through. All kinds of things. Those things...

Those are the things that today we should stop and for a moment be thankful for. Those are the things that we can remind ourselves today that our great, sovereign God has promises for us about. We can begin to breathe again. We can have hope again. We can walk in peace again. We can even experience joy again because of those promises.

Promises like the one in Romans that says He will work all things for our good and for His glory. Or the one over in Thessalonians that tells us to always be joyful, to keep on praying, no matter what happens for this is God's will for us in Christ Jesus. Then there's another one when Peter assures us that the grace of God is with us no matter what happens. 

We can say just like the Psalmist says in chapter 66, our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling. You have tested us, Oh God; you have purified us like silver melted in a crucible.

When the silversmith is working, he has to get the silver really hot, he has to stir the pot and allow the impurities to come to the top. Then he has to scrape off the impurities that surface. He has to do this over and over. Heating, stirring and scraping. Heating, stirring and scraping. Until something happens. Until he can see his reflection in the silver. Until he can see his face when he looks at the silver. Take a moment and relate that to our lives. We as the silver and our God as the Silversmith. Those things in this life as the heat.

Whatever we have gone through, are going through, or will ever go through; we can believe that our Silversmith is at work. His divine hand is stiring us as the crucible is heated up. We are melted and our impurities come to the surface. The Silversmith gently and carefully removes them....This happens over and over, and I believe he too begins to see his reflection. He begins to see himself when he looks at us.

What an overwhelming thought for me right now, because that's what I want more than anything while I'm here in this life. I want my God to see His reflection in me and I want others who don't know him to see his reflection and have to ask the question, "what is that I see?" I believe you want that too. That's when you and I can share how good our God is. We can begin to share how we could've never made it through the hard things without him. The ever more awesome thing is that if we are in Christ Jesus, that is who will be seen. As we live and find our hope and peace in Him, we can rest knowing that he has us. He's got it. We are in Him and He is in us.

Yes, the crucible gets hot and the scraping may not be pleasant. The process may even be painful at times. But, is it worth it. I believe so. I believe my God is a good God and I do believe that nothing is wasted. Everything is used either in making the silver hotter, bringing the impurities to the top, or in scraping them off the surface. Nothing is wasted. Not a brokenheart goes unbinded. Not a tear falls without being caught in a bowl. Not a cry is sounded without it reaching the ears of our loving God. I'll never understand it, but he, our amazing Silversmith, doesn't miss a thing.

Isaiah 43:1-3 says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you," says the LORD. "I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you...."


As you listen to this song, be reminded of those hard things and choose to trust that God is at work. He is good. He sees his reflection in his Son as we we are found in him. His love for us is beyond anything we can ever imagine.

Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship Band