Sermon # 1 - God's Bountiful Heart Series

We read in 2 Corinthians 9:8, “Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work.” (ISV)

This is Paul’s words to the church at Corinth and he wished them that they would be full and overflowing with every blessing, in every situation, because God is able to do that for them. Oftentimes when we don’t know who our God is because of our ignorance, we miss out on the many blessings that God has in store for us. If only we knew who our God is, and can understand His will, we will be able to receive and enjoy the manifold blessings that God wants to lavish on us.

The heart of God

As children of God many of us have not understood the true heart of our heavenly Father. You might have heard some parents lament that their grown child after many long years too hasn’t understood their heart. If we don’t understand the heart of God, and the life that God wants us to live, we will miss out on the blessings of God.

God wants us to abound in all areas of our lives, and in all kinds of situations too. This applies to our health, our jobs, our finances, and our social lives as well. Wherever we are lacking we must ask God, and believe that God gives to those who sincerely ask Him. If there is a lack of peace, a lack in the family or among your children, or a lack in the good things that should come our way, we must pray the above verse, and with faith believe that God can make every blessing abound on us no matter what our situations are. Our faith in God is the victory that can overcome this world.

David’s cup overflowed

The Psalmist says it this way in Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (ESV)

David declared that the Lord prepared a feast in the presence of his enemies, anointed his head with oil, and made his cup overflow.

This is what God promises to us too. There is a group outside who take delight to mock those who follow God faithfully when any kind of misfortune or lack comes their way.

There are three stages our cups can be in. The first stage when one’s cup is empty, and so we will look to others to have it filled. This could sometimes mean asking for help or prayer or any other form of assistance from others. The second stage is when our cups are full, and we are satisfied with it. The third stage however, is when our cups are full and overflowing. We should desire to come to this third stage because our Father desires this of us, and not be content to be in the stage of lack and want.

David’s secret

The secret to David’s testimony of his overflowing cup is found in Psalm 23:1. David had made the Lord his shepherd, and trusted the Lord in every situation.

If the Lord is our Shepherd, and He is everything to us, only then will our cups overflow. Think about sheep. They totally depend on the shepherd for pasture and good water.

When we understand how God’s heart is, it will help us to set our hearts in order too so our hearts are in tune with God’s.

We read in Genesis 1:20, “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.” (Webster)

God had only created Adam and Eve, but notice how God commanded the waters to bring forth abundance of creatures in the sea. God’s heart is bounteous and magnanimous, unlike our hearts which are narrow and meager. It is a fact that God will bless His children with abundance because He knows that they will give it back to Him. The Lord blesses His children when He know that they will use it wisely, and for the good of others and never for evil.

We read in Genesis 2:9, “The LORD God caused every tree that is both beautiful and suitable for food to spring up out of the ground.”(ESV)

Every tree and fruit that God created was beautiful to look at, and delicious to taste. Think about it God could have just made it tasty to eat, but He made sure it was also beautiful to behold. That’s our Heavenly Fathers’ heart who takes great care to see that everything He created for man was beautiful to see, and good for food.