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The Overflow

1 Chronicles 29: 11-13 (AMP) Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the dominion and kingdom, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all. In Your hand is power and might; and it is in Your hands to make great and to give strength to everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.

I finished reading 1 Chronicles yesterday, in my daily readings for the year. I try to read at least five chapters a day but making it important to take notice of what God is saying as I read. Our daily reading should not be to check off our to do list, it should give us an opportunity to seek His face. So do not rush it. As I was finishing up this book of the Bible, I could not help but notice David’s heart of praise. He was in awe that God would even choose him and his family. He was in awe of how far God had brought him. David was in awe of all that was available in his hands to put together such a plan for his son to build the temple.

When was the last time we stood in awe of God? Even in the offering of the people, he was in awe of who’s hand it came from in the first place. He did not puff up his kingdom nor himself of the wealth they attained, it was all for the glory of the Lord. Without God they would be nothing.

1 Chronicles 29:14 (AMP) But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You.

1 Chronicles 29:16 (AMP) O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy Name, it is from Your hand, and is all Your own.

It is just a good reminder of keeping our hearts pure with whatever we have been given to work with. That is what is important to remember about the parable of the talents. You can read it entirely in Matthew 25:14-30. What is put in our hands is not ours, but we have been trusted with it to build up His kingdom. Yes, it is to be used to take care of our practical needs, but where does our true treasures lie? Only caring about yourself is like the servant who was given the one talent and buried it.

Philippians 4:17 (AMP) Not that I seek the gift itself, but I do seek the profit which increases to your [heavenly] account [the blessing which is accumulating for you]. 

Mark 4:26-29 (AMP) Then He said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who throws seed on the ground; and he goes to bed at night and gets up every day, and [in the meantime] the seed sprouts and grows; how [it does this], he does not know. The earth produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head [of grain], then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop ripens, he immediately puts in the sickle [to reap], because [the time for] the harvest has come.”

Money is not the only thing we are to sow. We all have been given time, resources, talents, and the best gift of all, salvation. Your redemption was not meant to be kept to yourself (2 Corinthians 5:18, 20). You are to cultivate it and share it. As you grow, you help others grow. We have a God of abundance. Do you know why I spend so much time in the Word every day? He is planting more of Him inside of me to share. It is the overflow of His Presence that gives me strength and joy.

When Paul stated that he could do all things through Christ who strengthens him he was not trying to master a great feat. Paul was living a life of abundance in Christ. He was in awe of the revelation knowledge he was able to share. He was in awe of the people that God entrusted into his care. He did not take any of it for granted. It was through Christ he was able to travel as far and speak to as many leaders for His glory. Verse 14 of chapter 4 of Philippians is just so important, nevertheless it was right for others to share with him in his difficulties. People are important. He did not use them up and throw them away (as become our custom in a self-seeking world). He did not move on to the next group that would bring him to his next level of elevation. Verse 17 as shown above, he sought the profit, the heavenly benefit for them. He wanted the ability for them to know the life of abundance in Christ by doing what should come naturally to us. Using whatever we have in our hands to build His Kingdom.

This is my prayer before I leave the house every day. “Thank You Lord for giving me another opportunity to glorify You today. Let me honor what You honor. Let what I have be used for Your glory, it is all from You and for You.” I hope this blesses you and reminds you to keep a heart of praise and thanksgiving as you go about your day.

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Let Loose of Control

2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

It has been seven years since it snowed here in Opelika, Alabama. Just last week, an hour and a half north of us had snow, we did not. The infrequency for snow here means we do not prepare our roads before hand. The snow started to fall around noon yesterday and a couple of hours later the roads were already getting impassable. My husband works in Georgia and he said that the interstate started backing up by the time he got off, at two in the afternoon. Some people were stranded in their cars all evening. Do you know how much snow we got? Less than three inches, not even enough to cover my foot.

One of my sons went out with a friend and they drove around an recreational all terrain golf cart. They walked down to the convenience store to get some drinks and just did what teenage boys do. Whatever came to their minds. He said he liked it when he drove the all terrain, but it was not nearly as fun as the passenger. He preferred to be in control. Why is that we want to call all of the shots? How different God is with such! We feel safer when we call all of the shots, but what happens when we let the Holy Spirit lead?

I am reminded about a story in Ezekiel. Ezekiel had a vision in Ezekiel 47. In his vision water was flowing from under the threshold of the temple. As the water was flowing through the outer gate they measured it four times. It measured ankle-deep, then knee-deep, then to the hips and finally the water had risen so high they could not pass through it. They had to swim. God revealed to Ezekiel in verse 12 (AMP), “By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They shall bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”

1 Corinthians 6:19 (AMP) Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]?

John 7:38 (AMP) He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, ‘From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.’”

God is very intentional with His Word. That is why it is important that we see it as one voice. God will not contradict Himself and He always reveals His heart to us. The vision given to Ezekiel was in regards to how to divide the land to the Israelite tribes. When I read it this time, it reminded me of the rivers of living water that flows from us because of the Holy Spirit. What an illustration of the flow. It is not until the waters overtake me that I lose control. I can swim freely.

Have you ever floated in the waters? I have. I would spend summers at the beach and my favorite part was to get a donut shaped float, lay in it face up, and just float. I would float for hours. Keeping an eye on the shore. I knew where I was and knew how to get back to the shore. In the evening I would still feel the effects of the day, as I felt the floating in my sleep. That is what it is like to be engulfed by the Holy Spirit during the day. At night you should feel the effects and float.

Luke 6:47-49 (AMP) Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and obeys them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a [far-sighted, practical, and sensible] man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and yet could not shake it, because it had been securely built and founded on the rock. But the one who has [merely] heard and has not practiced [what I say], is like a [foolish] man who built a house on the ground without any foundation, and the torrent burst against it; and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

There are going to be times, like today, that you are not going to be in control. We are not able to travel outside of walking today. It just is not safe. I am okay with that. I am going to adhere to wisdom. Some do not like that because, “ain’t nobody gonna tell me what I can’t do.” What foundation are we building our homes on with that mindset? God is so different than the world. It is through my surrender that I have freedom. It is through me letting the flow of the rivers of living waters take over me that I have my security. Ankle deep is not doing it for me any longer. Sure you can fish in it, but what are you limiting yourself to? It is time to let loose of the controls.

Abba, our Father, our Jehovah, You are so Wonderful. You are so Holy. Thank You for Your Son, our Restorer. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, our Teacher. In Your Word it says that rivers of flowing water would come through us. We recognize that cannot be done without the surrender of our will to the Holy Spirit. Let us stop wading in waters that we still have control, keeping one foot on the shore at all times. Let us step into the overflow. Let us become engulfed so that true freedom can be placed in our lives. Let us be as you envisioned, fruitful and healing to others. You gave us all that You are through Your Son. Let us cultivate the fruit of love in our lives so that it is all that flows out of us. We repent for holding onto areas of control and when the trials of life took over us, we were not secure in You. We choose surrender today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.