The other day I took my son to a baseball-batting cage and paid for eight sets of 25 pitches. To our pleasant surprise, when the round finished, the balls kept coming—and coming. The machine had malfunctioned, and as a result it kept delivering an abundance of pitches. This reminded me of the time a friend’s 5-year-old daughter woke up and said, “Last night I had the best dream. I was at the beach and more toys than I could ever hope for washed up on the shore for me to have!”
In reality, rarely are earthly possessions and recreational activities showered upon us in abundance. To the contrary, most of us must work to earn money for batting machine rounds, and for the toys, cars, and homes we desire.
As we abide in Jesus Christ, however, Paul reveals that God has . . .
• loved us and chosen us even before the world was created (Ephesians 1:4).
• made us holy and perfect (Ephesians 1:4).
• adopted us into His family (Ephesians 1:5).
• showed us His grace (Ephesians 1:6).
• forgiven our sins (Ephesians 1:7).
• showered us with kindness, wisdom, and understanding (Ephesians 1:8).
• enabled us to hear and understand His salvation plan (Ephesians 1:9,13).
• given us an inheritance (Ephesians 1:1,14).
• placed within us His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:14).
From God’s abundance “we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16-17).
Today, consider what God has lavished on you and the blessings He offers you through His Son Jesus!
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Judges 16:22-31
More:
Read what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:19 and consider what it says about God and how He will provide for your needs.
Next:
How have you seen the essence of Matthew 25:29 unfold in your own life? What does it mean for God to give us abundantly what we need but not what we might want?
Ethan on March 14, 2014 at 2:50 am
God’s abundant love and grace has always been a compelling reason for me to tell the others about Him.
russell fralick on March 14, 2014 at 5:29 am
A great reminder Roxanne. I for one, far too often focus on the things all around me, especially in times of difficulty, and forget the lavish abundance of real gifts that our Father has given us. His gifts and faithfulness are eternal, and I am challenged daily to live my life with an eternal perspective. The things around me will all pass away, both the good and the not-so-good, but His goodness toward me is both now and forever. Tremendous!
Gary Shultz on March 14, 2014 at 6:22 am
Yes, so good it is, but like your son this is just the practice for what waits ahead. Thank you
Tom Felten on March 14, 2014 at 8:49 am
Jesus said that He “[His] purpose is to give [us] a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10). And that life of abundance is based in the riches of a relationship with Him, not material possessions.
Roxanne Robbins on March 14, 2014 at 1:08 pm
Really appreciate the comments, insights, and exhortations to remember that the Lord’s gifts, with eternal significance, trump any possession we could have have on earth.