Fresh air and the Earth itself are evidence of God’s abundant goodness and love. Photo courtesy of Hans / Pixabay
The Lord’s abundant provisions for our daily lives reveal His great love and kindness towards us. The word for today is “#abundant:”
Exodus 34:6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.”
People struggle with what to think about God because they can’t see Him with their physical eyes. But, God has no problem telling us what He is like. From reading our Bibles and walking with the Lord, we know that God is love (1 John 4:8). We know “there is none good but God” (Mark 10:18). When the Lord allowed Moses to see a glimpse of His glory, He hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and passed before him announcing: “The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6, KJV).”
What Is Abundance?
We think we know what abundance it, but for the most part we vaguely see it as being “a whole lot” or “a bunch of stuff,” which means that our ideas of abundance are attached to numbers. The Lord’s abundant provision for our lives show how our lives overflow with His mercy, grace, long suffering and goodness. Strong’s talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary tells us that the word abundant as used in Exodus 34:6 means: “abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality) :- (in) abound (-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great (-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, [time]), (do, have) many (-ifold, things, a time), ([ship-]) master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply (-tude), officer, often [-times], plenteous, populous, prince, process [of time], suffice (-ient). WOW! God’s abundance is numerically great, but it is also the exceedingly great increase given over time by the King of Kings.
Take Time to Show God’s Abundance
People tend to measure kindness and gifts. They pinch their pennies and parse their love, even as they qualify the recipients by asking themselves “what have they done for me lately?” It’s easy to give to people who show us love and give us things, but it’s a whole other ball game when dealing with those who can’t or won’t return our love or give us gifts. Sending rain upon the good and the wicked alike is but one example of God’s abundant goodness. Fresh air, clean water, and all the fruits of the earth are additional examples of God’s loving grace and abundant provision.
Small acts of abundance from a heart that’s kissed by the love of God help make the world better. What gifts have you given today? A smile (or a frown)? A hug (or a shove)? A helping hand (or failure to take a stand)? A word of advice (or avarice)? Pray and study God’s word, so that your thoughts and actions reflect the love and righteousness of God. “May the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon is no more” (Psalm 72:7, NIV).
Until we meet again: “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” (Ephesians 6:10)
– Your friend in Christ,
Verneda
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