Hello Dear Blessed Child of God!
Do you have a need? And how do you see God's response to that need? Let's look at one example of many examples in the New Testament where Jesus reflects the true heart and nature of God in His provision for us.
Water into wine! Jesus is at a wedding in Cana in John 2 and His mother comes to Him to ask Him to help prevent great embarrassment for the Bride and Groom as they had run out of wine, a big deal at a Jewish wedding! And Jesus, reflecting the true nature of God, says "Tough luck, you should've planned ahead better and not spent so much on all this food, it's wasteful. Besides, you've all had enough already!"
No. That's not God's voice. That's not the heart and nature of our Heavenly Father.
He says 'Fill the pots to the brim.' They couldn't get anymore in the pots. It was literally the fulness of what they gave Jesus. That's interesting. What are you giving Jesus to fill? I'm thinking that these people at the wedding, the servants who were to 'do as He tells you', could've gotten more pots! What if they'd run around the neighbourhood and asked to borrow many more pots?
You see religion will tell you that God is the God of 'just getting by' and of 'barely enough'. But throughout the Bible, Old and New Testaments, we see God more than supplying the bare minimum. We see His lavish abundance upon those with whom He has a covenant relationship. Look at Adam and Eve, at Abraham, at Solomon, then look at all the miracles of provision that Jesus performed. They weren't miracles of 'barely enough', there were baskets leftover (Matt. 14 / Mark 8), there were boats that almost sank because of the amount of fish caught (Luke 5).
I encourage you this week to do a word search. Use an online Bible study guide and type in 'Much more' and then 'Exceedingly' (if you're using KJV) and see just how many times those themes come up throughout the Bible. It's amazing!
Let's go back to our story of the Wedding at Cana. Jesus has not only filled the pots to the brim, the Master of the Feast says; "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
Not only is God a God of quantity, He's quality too! This is the heart of God; a super-abundant, overflowing, more than enough, highest quality God. So, what is your need? And what do you think God's response to that need is?
I encourage you this week to start expanding your tent, start gathering more pots, BIG ones! Start believing that God wants to bless you abundantly, not in stingy, mean, barely enough ways, but with a super-abundant, overflowing, more than enough, highest quality provision that you won't be able to contain. Malachi 3:10 says that He will open the windows of heaven, and pour you out such a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
I believe God has more for you, for all of us, than we can even imagine. Get your hopes up saint! Start looking unto a God of Abundant Grace Who wants to supply all your needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus and Who is just waiting for you to bring in the pots so He can fill them to the brim!
Yours Abundantly,
Upstream Ministries
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