Carrubbers' Blog

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Friday: Don't Waste It

Several years ago John Piper published an ebook entitled "Don't Waste Your Cancer," written during his battle with the disease. You have to be careful with such a title or sending such a booklet to someone suffering, because not everyone will appreciate it! But the point is that God doesn't waste anything that comes into our lives - mysteriously even evil will be forced to serve our ultimate good in Christ. Knowing that Piper encourages us not to waste the opportunity to learn, grow and seek after God even in the hardest of times - so that we will be stronger in faith and closer to God for the rest of our journey through this life.

With that in mind, at the start of the book of Judges there's an explanation of why God allowed the Canaanites to remain among the people of Israel, whose half hearted discipleship didn't fully drive them out as God commanded. Judges 3:2 "he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience". This answers one of my lingering questions: Why doesn't God just give us an easy life? Why must there be so many strains and stresses, disappointments and discouragements along the way?  This passage suggests that it's because I have to learn to fight the good fight of faith and prove the faithfulness of God in my own experience and in my own generation (rather than live off my parents and my elder's faith and knowledge of God). God wants to show me (and not just tell me) that He is the great warrior who fights for and defends His people.  All the things we are afraid of are more afraid of Him!

So God didn't waste the Canaanites situation. And God doesn't intend to waste the Coronavirus situation in our lives either. No doubt this is a hard truth. But it also is a reassuring truth that there is meaning and purpose even in our suffering. That it is redeemable. Because our lives are not in the hands of fate or chance or a trickster, but the loving hands of our sovereign Father. So let's not waste it, but instead rise up to fight the good fight of faith today with all the strength and courage that God supplies.


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