Monday, August 6, 2012

Over the wall - an overflowing life

The title “Over the wall” hit me this morning when I turned to the devotional produced by Love Singapore in connection with our national day celebrations. The phrase refers to the blessings given by Jacob to Joseph his favourite son of his wife Rachel.

“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the skies above, blessings of the deep springs below, blessings of the breast and womb. Your father’s blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among[e] his brothers. “Genesis 49: 22 – 26

The metaphor used is “over the wall.” My mind immediately thought of a chorus I learnt when I was a child ‘My cup’s full and running over. Since the Lord saved me, I’m as happy as can me, My cup’s full and running over." God has made every provision for the believer to live a life that overflows with God’s grace. The Holy Spirit baptized me into the body of Christ the moment I repented, believed in Jesus as my Saviour. When I surrendered fully to Him, He fills me with His Spirit – the infilling goes on everyday. When I experience His fullness, then only then can my cup be full and running over; then and only then can my branches run over the wall to bless others.

Paul made himself available to God. The grace of God was available to him to “preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8). Paul declares there is no limit to what God can do in and through us if we will yield your lives to Him. His fullness is limitless, endless, and eternal. “That you maybe fitted with all the fullness of God” (v. 19). Fill and full to overflowing.

My cup runs over because He “is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” That is the believer who has received the fullness of God, and grace upon grace. It is the superabundance of life that we receive through the Spirit in Christ Jesus. This is the fullness of life Jesus gives and it causes our cups to run over with the fullness of joy. Because of our union with Christ we enjoy all His riches of His glory. We can never be poor spiritually when we enjoy “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” “My cup runs over!”

Our branches will never be restricted to inside the wall, but climbing over the wall with fruit to share with others. My prayer today is
Make me a blessing, make me a blessing, Out of my life may Jesus shine.
Make me a blessing, O Saviour I pray, Make me a blessing to someone day.

Let the blessings of God flow over the wall to our family from generation to generation. Let the blessings flow to our neighbours, our relatives and friends. Blessing abound wherever God reigns.

No comments:

Post a Comment