Overflow

As the year at His Church Leadership College was wrapping up, I felt to challenge the students to not just finish the year by scraping by but to finish in the overflow of God. We spoke about the areas of their lives where they felt that needed to experience a greater overflow and how this would carry them through the end of the year while setting them on the right path for the new year.

I would like to challenge us as to where we need to see the overflow of God in our own lives so that we end this year and begin the new year from a position of health. There’s a well-known Scripture in Psalm 23:5-6 (NLT) that says, “You honour me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life.” This speaks about anointing, overflow, blessing and love being part of our lives, for all the days of our lives. There are many of us who are trusting for physical blessing and overflow and I believe that this is included here but what are the other areas that we need overflow (increase) in – areas such as peace, joy, patience, capacity, focus, clarity. The beautiful thing about overflow is that an overflow touches the lives of those around us. If we allow an overflow to be created in our lives then the overflow cannot be contained. If this overflow is physical blessing I hope that we are able to bless others but if this overflow is joy perhaps this joy will touch the life of someone who is facing hard times, perhaps an overflow of peace in your life can bring healing to others, or an overflow of capacity makes you more dependable to those around you.   

Another scripture paints such a beautiful image of how an overflow can change not just you but lives and communities around you. Psalm 65:11 (NIV) says, “You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.” What a beautiful thought if we let go and allow His blessing to finish our year in an abundance of overflow. The same scripture in another version (TPT) says, “You crown the earth with the fruits of your goodness. Wherever you go, the tracks of your chariot wheels drip with oil.” While we are not going around in our chariots or pushing our carts picture your footsteps and everywhere you go there should be an overflow leaving a trail of “oil” that others will benefit from. There is healing in overflow. We have to allow God to heal the places in our lives that are in need. Let Him finish our year and don’t let the year finish us.

So bring God the dry, desperate, at-the-end of yourself places in your life and allow Him to release something new, to crown your year with His blessing, to create an overflow in your life. Then let that overflow leave a trail in every encounter and interaction so that others are touched by His overflow in you and through you. Let your chariot wheels drip…

Enduring With Joy

Endure with Joy, I think is a beautiful phrase that describes His Church well, and I am proud to be a part of this family.

2023 has come and is almost gone. Many people will have different stories to tell as they think back on a year which has presented many up and downs. I imagine for most there have been enough downs through the year for us all to agree; 2023 has had its challenges.

I’m wondering how as Christians, we are all dealing with the ongoing challenges of the days we’re living in? So many of us have been raised to believe that the Lord sorts our problems out, and so often we simply refuse to accept that God would allow our problems, so we focus our hope on the change we want or need. And while we all have had the occasional breakthroughs and miracles when we have needed them most, it is also true that very often, despite our prayers and our focused hopes, many times things don’t always simply work out. 

Before I go on, let me say this without a trace of doubt or unbelief, “our Father in heaven, is GOOD”. I can almost hear the relief on your breath. But remember that good doesn’t always mean that His goodness works itself out in the way that we would want or think we need.  

Rather, His goodness assures us, that He is a good father. He knows what we need, what we can endure and what good can comes from our endurance. You see His eyes on the end game, on who He is forming us to be.

As parents, we want the best for our children. But we know for them to grow and mature and become strong in themselves, there are circumstances and situations that we will choose to support them through, but not remove them from. To remove the child, is to spoil the child, but to walk with them through their trials, will always mature the child.

As we close out the year, know that our good father is fashioning something in you as he has walked with you through it all and he is using the hardship and the challenges to do just that. In fact, I would confidently say, He is proud of the believer who is able to hold on, and to let their faith grow as they endure with joy. These are the ones, His children who are harnessing the day, being pressed in the olive grove, for the oil vats to overflow in the days ahead.

Nobody knows what the year 2024 holds, but we do know, as we end in joy, we are ready to lay hold of the year ahead, because we have been fathered well.

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

— James 1:2-4 (NIV)