SAVE THE FRAGMENTS by C. A. Osgood

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 1, 1868

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Review and Herald, Vol. 32, No. 11.

SAVE THE FRAGMENTS.

By C. A. Osgood

“GATHER up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” John vi, 12.

These are the words of our Saviour to his disciples, spoken when he had performed the miracle of feeding five thousand men with five barley loaves and two small fishes. He had so increased the amount of food, that all had eaten and become satisfied, and still some remained. He was not willing that anything useful should be lost. What an important lesson is here taught, applicable to all times, but especially to us in these last times. Our Saviour was a rigid economist. He taught that everything valuable should be saved. At another time he said, “He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much.” Thus we see he attaches great importance to little things. And many times a small act produces great good, or great injury. What a rebuke our Lord’s words are to those housewives who throw out bread, or other food, that by a little care or labor might have been saved for family use. But not only is bread thus wasted, but small sums of money; cents and dimes are thrown away for candies, and other things that do no good, that just gratify the taste; and also for little superfluities in dress, to gratify pride and vanity. These little sums of money are wasted. We are the Lord’s. “We are bought with a price.” All we have is his. Soon it will be said to each one of us, “Give an account of thy stewardship.” And then how many small sums of money, as well as larger ones, will be found to have been thrown away. Oh! what a strict account we must give for our behaviour here in this world. A little sum will place a tract in the hand of some person who may by reading it be led to search the Scriptures until he shall be led into the light of present truth, and following the onward track of truth, he may become an inheritor of the kingdom of God. Thus a soul is saved from death. More than this, this man may become a minister of Christ, and be the means of turning “many to righteousness.” Let us save the cents, and make a good use of them. While we faithfully use them as Christ would have us, we lay up for ourselves treasures in Heaven. But a little squandered every day, or every week, after a while amounts to a large sum.

But many waste fragments of time in idleness or in vain talking, or useless and even hurtful reading, and in many other ways. How many useful little things might be done in these little periods of time. Ofttimes we might do something for the comfort of others, or gain some instruction to ourselves, or lift up earnest prayer to God, and receive rich blessings. We might use these moments in speaking words of truth, or writing a few sentences to do some one good. All our time is made up of moments. For the manner in which we have used or abused these, we must give a strict account before God. Oh! let us improve the moments as they pass. May we be faithful in little things.

C. A. Osgood.

Rochester, N. Y.