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!!