The God of the Leftovers.
by an Old Disciple
My Grandma Morrison (maternal) was an old-time, Primitive Baptist. She was of Kentucky stock, through and through. As a boy, I remember most vividly how, when entering her house I would immediately cast my eyes toward the dinning room table. And as always, she had a nice clean table cloth spread over what is called, “the leftovers.” And I can say with all honesty, I felt then, and still do, that her leftovers were better than most other’s main meal.
You will remember that after Jesus fed the multitude, He had the disciples “gather up the fragments that remain[ed].” He kept and used the leftovers; there was no waste with Him. The dictionary gives the meaning for waste as, “exceedingly or recklessly wasteful.” The Bible teaches we should never throw away or discard anything we have that is still useful to us or others. To allow things to rot or ruin, whether it is food or other material items, it is contrary to the principles found in the Word of God.
Prodigality characterizes our nation, and has moved into the Church. It can be said of many Christians today what was said of the Prodigal of old, “[He] wasted his substance.” The wise man speaks of one who is, “…a great waster.” We are told he’s kin to the lazy man (Prov.18:9). We live above what we have and spend more than we can afford. Great blessings can become great curses if not handled right. Remember the story of King Midas!
The only waste God doesn’t condemn is Mary’s kind.
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How well we all know this but still most of us waste something every day whether it be foods, personal items or time. Thank you for the reminder that it is a sin to waste any of God’s good gifts.