Hebrews 11: 1- 2 (NKJV)
‘...I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)’
and
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
Our first Scripture verse confirms three facts, namely:
(a) The inherent ability of the Lord Jesus to give abundant life to those who believe in Him.
(b) The fact that God is a natural giver who gives exceedingly and beyond measure, until it overflows.
(c) The willingness of the Lord Jesus to supply us with abundant and overflowing life.
The Lord Jesus always gives beyond average and more than enough; so we must recognise that there is no shortage with God. The Scripture also tells us that Christ “came”…. When we catch a glimpse of the importance and eternal magnificence of the Person who has come, it will help us position ourselves to receive from Him. This is because our attitude towards God is determined by our understanding of who He is.
Our knowledge of God determines the level of our faith in Him and the capacity we present to receive from Him. As we fellowship with Him, we know Him better and this enlarges our faith and our capacity to receive all that He has made available to us (2 Peter 1: 3).
Ephesians 1: 3- 14 reveals to us God’s enormous wealth. Out of His inestimable love for us, He gave us eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. And through Jesus Christ, He gave us everything we would ever need for life and godliness. The gift of life, which Jesus speaks of in John 10: 10b, is both His nature and substance. It is His love, ability, grace, wisdom, strength, provision and protection. It also includes an eternal home in heaven! This life (also called “Zoe”) is simply inexhaustible, and we have access to enjoy it through faith (Romans 5: 2, Hebrews 11: 1, 1 John 5: 4).
Faith gives us access to what God has already provided – health, healing, deliverance, victory, breakthrough, prosperity and the fulfillment of destiny. One major issue with believers is our ability to receive. Unfortunately, our experiences, background and even our traditional ideas about faith often affect our capacity. This is why we must understand that faith is simply the act of keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12: 2a).
The author of abundant life is Jesus, and the author of our faith is Jesus! In the Bible story of the feeding of the 5000, when the disciples doubted how five loaves could feed 5000 men, Jesus displayed the power of God, despite the misgivings of his disciples. He used five loaves of bread and two fish to feed 5000 men (not counting women and children) and there were 12 baskets of food left over! (John 6: 9- 14). This story challenges us to remember that nothing can limit God. It is usually our capacity that needs alignment to His inexhaustible ability to give. He can handle all needs, presented to him in faith. He has abundance to pour out into our emptiness, provided we present it to Him.
Good stuff! Yes, He is a God of abundance and overflow. He is not scrambling just to barely get through each day. He is that way when it comes to His love and life towards us. It is always more than we can ask or imagine.
Good post.