Wonderful
Now Playing: What is really worth getting excited about?
Topic: Overflowing
Each of us have something which "pushes our buttons" either for good or for ill. Perhaps certain re-occurring events really upset us, or really get us all excited. We have passions and patterns which characterize each one of us. Today we will look at what is described in scripture as being "wonderful".

Solomon desired to do a great work, "...great is our God above all gods. (v.6) But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him? (v.7) Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide. (v.8) Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, (v.9) Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great." (2 Chronicles 2:5-9)

Job spoke clearly, "Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not." (Job 42:3) David has said, "I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women." (2 Samuel 1:26).

David wrote in the Psalms, "Many, O LORD my God, are Thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered." (Psalm 40:5) "We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength, and His wonderful works that he hath done." (Psalm 78:4) "Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" (Psalm 107:8,15,21,31) "He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion." (Psalm 111:4) "Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them." (Psalm 119:129) "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it." (Psalm 139:6)

Solomon has given us some unique insight, "(v.18) There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: (v.19) The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid. (v.24) There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: (v.25) The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; (v.26) The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; (v.27) The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; (v.28) The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces." (Proverbs 30:18-19, 24-28)

The prophet Isaiah has recorded, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6) "O LORD, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth." (Isaiah 25:1) "This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working." (Isaiah 28:29)

Of the Lord Jesus, we read, "And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David'; they were sore displeased..." (Matthew 21:15) In the book of Acts, we find, "(v11)...we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (v.12) And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? (v.13) Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. (v.14) But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, 'Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words':" (Acts 2:11-14)

We should be thankful for the wonderful works which God has done, and be less occupied with the wonderful things we may desire for our own satisfaction and comfort, unless our desire is for His glory and the encouragement of His people.

Work in progress...

Multitude
Now Playing: What do we have a great deal of?
Topic: Overflowing
None of us want to be lacking, whether in resources, or in friends, or in what really matters to us. God desires to bless, but in His own way. With His earthly people, He blessed richly. "The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. (The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as He hath promised you)" (Deuteronomy 1:10-11).

The Lord Jesus as man certainly demonstrated His great care for His people. "(v.30) And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and He healed them: (v.31) Insomuch that the multitudes wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel. (v.32) Then Jesus called His disciples unto Him, and said, 'I have compassion on the multitude, because they have continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.' ... (v.34) And Jesus said unto them, 'How many loaves have ye?' And they said, 'Seven and a few little fishes'. (v.35) And He commanded the multitude to sit down upon the ground. (v.36) And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude" (Matthew 15:31-36 selected). No detail was left unnoticed in His Divine provision!

The psalmist David could say, "But as for me, I will come into Thy house in the multitude of Thy mercy: and in Thy fear will I worship toward Thy holy temple" (Psalm 5:7). He also warned, "There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mightly man is not delivered by much strength. Behold the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy" (Psalm 33:16,18). David proclaimed the source of His strength, "Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. When I said, 'My foot slippeth:' Thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul" (Psalm 94:17-19). "The LORD reigneth: let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad" (Psalm 97:1).

Solomon warned, "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise" (Proverbs 10:19). Another warning is given, "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14). Also, "Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established" (Proverbs 15:22). He also instructed, "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. In the multitude of people is the king's honor: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince" (Proverbs 14:27-28).

The apostle Peter also warns us, "The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity (love) among yourselves: for charity (love) shall cover a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:7-8). We can rejoice because there is a day soon to come when, "Lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands: And cried with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb'" (Revelation 7:9-10). What a prospect for those in that coming day!

Exceeding
Now Playing: What causes us to overflow?
Topic: Overflowing
In each of our lives, there are issues and events which touch us deeply. What is special to one person, may be trivial to another. But in spiritual things, for the believer, we should have a common appreciation for what God has given to us and has promised to His own. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Ephesus, "(v.17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: (v.18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of His glory of His inheritance in the saints, (v.19) And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power..." (Ephesians 1:17-19) Also, "(v.4) God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us...(v.6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (v.7) That in the ages to come He might show us the exceeding riches of grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4,6,7).

We have some examples for our warning and encouragement. "After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, 'Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward'." (Genesis 15:1) We find in the book of Numbers, "(v.6) And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: (v.7) And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, 'The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. (v.8) If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. (v.9) Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not'." (Number 14:6-9)

In the book of the Kings, we learn of Solomon, "(v.29) And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. (v.30) And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. (v.31) For he was wiser than all men..." (1 Kings 4:29-31) "(v.5) And David said, 'Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it.' So David prepared abundantly before his death. (v.6) Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the LORD God of Israel (1 Chronicles 22:5-6).

We find in the book of Daniel, "(v.19) Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. (v.20) And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, 'O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?' (v.21) Then said Daniel unto the king, 'O king, live for ever. (v.22) My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.' (v.23) Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. (Daniel 6:19-23).

The book of Jonah holds for us a good lesson. "(v.1) And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, (v.2) 'Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.' (v.3) So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. (v.4) And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, 'Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.' (v.5) So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. (v.10) And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not" (Jonah 3:1-5, 10). When Jonah was obedient, God brought in great blessing.

In the following chapter, Jonah's heart was revealed. ==> "(v.1) But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. (v.2) And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, 'I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil. (v.3) Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.' (v.4) Then said the LORD, 'Doest thou well to be angry?' (v.5) So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.

(v.6) And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. (v.7) But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. (v.8) And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, 'It is better for me to die than to live.'

(v.9) And God said to Jonah, 'Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd?' And he said, 'I do well to be angry, even unto death.' (v.10) Then said the LORD, 'Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: (v.11) And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more then sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle'?" (Jonah 4:1-11). What a lesson for us to consider!

Paul's prayer for the saints at Ephesus was, "(v.16) That He (Christ) would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; (v.17) That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (v.18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (v.19) And to know the Love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. (v.20) Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us..." (Ephesians 3:16-20).

We also find in Peter's epistle, "(v.3) According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: (v.4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (v.5) And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge; (v.6) And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; (v.7) And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. (v.8) For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:3-8).

So when we have trials, we can remember, "rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ, happy are ye..." (1 Peter 4:13-14) "(v.16) For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. (v.17) For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (v.18) While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

The final epistle given to us in the scriptures closes with the following: "(v.20) But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, (v.21) Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (v.22) And of some have compassion, making a difference: (v.23) And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. (v.24) Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, (v.25) To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." (Jude 20-25) May we overflow exceedingly with that which is dear to the heart of God and true to the Word of God!!