Psalm 86 verse 5 (NIV) But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow in anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
Abound. This week I have been thinking about the word, abound and abounding. Its not a word I hear used in conversation often but you will find it in the Word of God, several times. Abounding means largeness, plentiful, enlarging, over the top and so much more. I can try to describe this abounding in the full sense but words fail me. The closest I come is to say abounding is about the volume, size and energy God reveals about his character to show Himself to us. One example from the New Testament comes to mind and that of the prodigal sons father.
Think of that father and the way he never let go of hope of seeing his son again and the way that he ran to greet his son on his return. His urgent and over the top instructions to the cooks to prepare the fatted calf to celebrate. That to me is a picture of the abounding love, grace and faithfulness of God.
How much of God’s abounding love have you received?
If we truly receive this beautiful, measureless, limitless love, grace, faithfulness and so much more- like an intoxicating love, what is our response?
I have to admit that I have a way to go to abound in love like God does. A few weeks ago my husband was hospitalised having suffered a small stroke. At the same time, my 90 year old Mum (thankfully still quite independent) was staying with us and I was finishing my very last portfolio for a Bachelor of Counselling. Unfortunately, I was abounding in feeling stressed. It seemed like a whirlwind of pressure, concern, sleeplessness and responsibility all piled into one. Abounding in anything else was far from my mind.
On reflection, I’m guilty of taking God’s grace and love for granted. Other times I pray and ask for His grace. But I forget His grace and love is abounding.
Given that we are gifted this abounding love and grace, how often do we find ourselves abounding in love and graciousness towards ourselves, others and our work?
God is faithful and my husbands stroke was a small one, Mum and I sorted out what needed to be done day by day and I passed my final assessment. But maybe I did all of that under my own strength. Just maybe I didn’t remind myself of the boundless abounding love and grace of God found in Psalm 85.
In what other areas in life are we encouraged to abound in? Here are just two examples but there are many more.
1 Corinthians 15 v 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
2 Corinthians 9 verse 8 (NIV) And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things and at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
What stops us from abounding? Is it because we haven’t fully received all that Jesus has done for us? Could it be we haven’t thought too much about what it means to abound and to be abounding?
This week as we go out into all the work Jesus has prepared in advance for us, I encourage you to think about and thank Him for the boundless love of God and all the ways that He is abounding. Ask Him afresh for ways to abound in every area of your life.
I love this. It made me think of the abounding life now appearing in Central Australia following the recent huge rainfalls. Waterways and lakes teeming with birds, and once-parched desert landscapes brilliant with grasses and flowering plants. Frogs and fish emerging from underground hibernation to breed, and kangaroos with young again. Abounding life of every kind. Thank you for this. It is God’s joy for us to abound as creation does. Thank you.