"Exceeding Abundant"

"Exceeding Abundant"

   Recently, a mixup led to a package from UPS not being delivered properly to our address.  A UPS delivery man discovered the error, found the package, and rather than wait until the next day to bring it to us, delivered it on his way home from work (late in the evening, and using his own car).

   "Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say" (Philemon 1:21).

    I only had a moment with the delivery man, and do not know if he is a believer.  But he certainly acted like one in this matter.  Or more to the point, he acted like the Lord of believers.

   "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask our think, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world with end, Amen" (Ephesians 3:20).

    An abundance of generosity beyond measure characterizes the heart and hand of our Heavenly Father.  As the old hymn proclaims, "Out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again".  He also does more than we ask when we ask.  However, we may sometimes fail to perceive the lavish bestowal of grace due to the fact that we presently "walk by faith, not by sight" (II Corinthians 5:7).  Moreover, our Father gives according to the perfection of His wisdom and knowledge rather than our own.  The Israel who prayed and waited for her Messiah was blessed by the very Son of God, but "received Him not" because spiritual blindness and God's ways "past finding out" led to their rejection of the Lord Jesus (John 1:11; Romans 11:33).  They forgot their Lord's faithfulness and His generosity.  Thus, they failed to recognize His abundant fulfillment of promise and lavish bestowal of provision.

   We do well to encourage each other and affirm within our hearts the truth of God's "exceeding, abundantly above" kindness.  His very nature constitutes giving, to the degree that even the greatest sacrifice does not preclude His open heart and hand.  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16).  This is who He is, and what He does.  The self sacrificial generosity of the UPS man reminded me of such kindness in our Lord, causing the package he delivered to pale in comparison to the Light he reflected.  I desire to follow his example, and even more, to walk in the illumination of God's character, nature, and way of doing more.

"The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."

(I Timothy 1:14)

Weekly Memory Verse

    Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

(Psalm 20:7)