“Waste not, want not” is an old proverb first recorded in 1772, and a statement similar to that was recorded earlier in the 1500’s, which is as useful today as it was back then. When we make good use of what we already have available, it keeps us from having lack in that area.


But what about when we HAVE something available, yet we don’t make use of it? That’s another story altogether. I find many people are desiring this or that, and yet they’re wasting the resources they already have right under their nose. What might that be?
The Lord Jesus said in John 16:24-31,

24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.
26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.
30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.
31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?

And I have to ask the same thing, “Do you now believe?” You see, our heavenly Father loves us, and wants us to live life to the full and abundantly. The Lord Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief cometh not but for to kill, and to steal, and to destroy: but I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Now even though the LORD knows what we need even before we ask Him, He still wants us to ASK!

It is written in James 4:1-7,
1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

So, what resource do we have right under our nose that we are not taking advantage of? OUR WORDS! With our words, we worship our LORD, and with our words, we ask Him for those things we need. And yet, so many people waste time and energy trying to get the things they want on their own efforts, instead of simply asking our heavenly Father for them. Now hard work is good, but there’s a limit to what we can do by our own efforts alone.

God has given us the Holy Spirit to be our HELPER. Now by “HELPER”, I mean like this, suppose you want to clean out your garage, and so you hire a helper, then go sit down in your recliner and expect the “helper” to do the whole job. Well, it doesn’t work like that, the “helper” is there to “help”, not do the whole job. But we must pay attention to verse 3, and examine our motives for asking the LORD for help or whatever.

Many of God’s children do without the things they need, because they simply do not ask. Yes, the LORD knows what we need even before we ask, yet, we are still instructed to ASK! You say you want the devil to get off your back? Use the tools the LORD made available to you in James 4:7. Number 1, submit yourself unto God. Number 2, RESIST THE DEVIL (with your words and actions), and number 3, he will FLEE from you. I like to say it like this, “Do numbers 1 and 2 on the devil, and he will flee from you.”

But if you don’t take advantage of what the LORD has already given you, you will end up in want, thus “waste not, want not” is a good warning to us all, to make full use of everything the LORD has empowered us with. And if we make use of what He has given us, we will never be in want, for He has offered HIMSELF unto us, and He is limitless.

Do you need to be saved? You will never be unless you ask the LORD to save you. By the same token, do you need healing? You must take advantage of the Word of God and BELIEVE. Everything we have need of in this life, the LORD has graciously made available to us for the asking. But if you don’t ask, you don’t receive. That’s so simple a child can understand. Thus, don’t waste what He has offered you. Waste not, want not!