Exceedingly Abundantly 2

Last Sunday on my way to church, the Holy Spirit asked me to carry a copy of my book: Bibleboy, by faith, for sale. I was directed to sit next to a stranger who I’d never met before. I kept handling the book in my hands, and she noticed my photo at the back under the section ‘about the author’.

She immediately picked interest and asked to observe the book. “Is this you? Did you write this? Is this for sale? How much?”

“Yes, Yes, Yes… 50,000 Uganda Shillings.” I replied.

She immediately opened her wallet which bore many ATM cards and pulled out a bright yellow note and handed it to me as she continued to comprehend the book, and its nature. With disappointment, after I had autographed it in her family’s name, she looked at me and groaned,

“… and you only carried one copy!”

I’d see the Holy Spirit slap His forehead at this remark. He said,

“You carried few oil jars…”

He was basing on the story of the widow from 2 Kings 4, whose late husband had left a big debt. Elisha asked her what she had in her house. Oil, she said. He asked her to borrow jars from her neighbors & friends, and pour the oil she had in each of those jars until each of them got full. The miracle was such that the oil didn’t stop flowing out the flask of oil she had. It’s like an invisible tap opened through it.

The oil however stopped flowing as soon as all the jars she had borrowed got full. She sold the oil and made money to clear off her debt, but she’d have made more if she had more jars! Maybe she had borrowed only 100. What if she sold each jar, emptied it and returned it to the queue while her sons did the refill while at home! Perhaps the oil would still be flowing until today! (Selah)

The Spirit was using this theory, to say, like the widow sold all the oil available, if I had AVAILED more copies, all of them could have been sold. Now I had more back home, but the lady with many ATM cards went a completely different direction after church.

I didn’t see her again.

This scripture, then came to me, and resounded all day;

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, to Him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

The power referred to here is the Holy Spirit. ‘According to the power’, then means, God is able to do exceeding things in correspondence to the Holy Spirit working in us. If one limits (or quenches) the Spirit, then he or she will limit God from doing ‘exceedingly abundantly’ in any situation in their lives. This will be the same result for those who think this power can not do some things, yet it can do anything, as long as one believes. That’s why in the same congregation, some people will be receiving mega rewards from God, and others will wonder what they didn’t do!

On the other hand, I promised myself to carry more copies than needed the next time…

There are so many lessons similar to mine in the Bible. And I pray that by the time you’re done with this, that you’ll have adopted the trick of allowing God room to carry out His ‘exceedingly abundantly.’

The lame man who sat at the gate Beautiful in Acts 3 was expecting something from Peter and John. He expected alms. For he expected hand-me-downs on a daily from whoever came to the temple. Peter sensed it and said, “Silver and gold I have not, but as such as I have I give to you. In the name of Jesus rise and walk”

The lame man, as opposed to receiving alms, received something that would enable him manufacture ‘his own alms’. That was exceedingly abundantly above what he must have thought! It’s pretty much like acquiring that expensive gadget for free, yet even if a 50% discount was given, you would not afford it!

Lily not only received a scholarship for her undergraduate, but God extended it to cover her Masters’ too. She not only went through it all, but excelled with distinctions! Perhaps Lily had thought it’d all end with the undergraduate, but see God!

Ruth had lost everything. She clung & stuck with Naomi, returning with her. The young widow went out to pick the fallen gleans in Boaz’s fields. She not only got married again. She was aligned into Jesus’ great grand lineage—this gentile Moabite. That was exceedingly abundantly above what she asked or thought or hoped for…

God did not only show Abraham the land He’d give to him and his descendants. God spoke of the next 500 years of His descendants’ affairs (how they’d be enslaved). He spoke of the next 4000 years of His seed (Jesus). I’ve heard God speak concerning the fifth generation, but if God speaks to you about your 42nd generation, that’s a whole other exceedingly abundantly above what you’d ask or expect or think …

God did not only want to warn Pharaoh of the future. He wanted to give him the solution of the problem that came with the future. Joseph not only interpreted the dream’s problem. He was made the solution to it. Thus His elevation followed. That’s exceedingly abundantly above what Joseph would’ve asked … Maybe he just wanted to get out of prison — but go where?

God had already planned for him not only to be free, but to RULE & REIGN!

God not only gave Moses long life. He renewed his youth. His sight was still strong. His skin was not abated. That was exceeding what a normal 120 year-old experienced. Joshua fought battles and won at 80 years of age!

God not only wants to sustain you. On top of that, He wants to sustain the nations around you, by you, just like He did through Isaac who unblocked many wells during a famine. God not only wants to make you rich. He wants you so rich that your wealth threatens the economy of your entire nation (just like Isaac in Philistia). That’s exceedingly abundantly above what you’d ask or expect or think …

God will not only supply your need. He will, supply your need, exceedingly abundantly above what you can ask or think according to His riches in glory in Christ.

God will not only renew your youth as the eagle’s, He will renew it exceedingly abundantly above what you can think! You’ll be called your daughter’s sister. Strangers shall think you’re your son’s brother. Aging will lose its effect on you.

It’d be useless if the nations saw the treasure in you, and yet their kings don’t. God then promises exceedingly, saying, the kings of those nations too, will join the queue to come witness the brightness of your rising.

God will not only give you one city that you didn’t build. He promised to give you cities (plural). He will not only give you a house filled with good things that you didn’t sweat or raise a coin to build. He promised houses! So as you ask for one thing, allow for God’s exceedingly abundantly…

When you ask for one child, know He can give you twins. If you ask for twins, know He can give you triplets. If you ask for triplets, know that He can grant thee quadruplets. When you ask for a promotion, know that He can give you the same very company to be your property!

When you ask Him to help you make a way to publish your book, He can give you publishing houses that can immediately do your bidding. Maybe you want to record music, and accessing studios seems very expensive. God says, He can get you there, and even make you head multiple record studios & labels that turn your wishes into commands!

That’s exceedingly abundantly above what you’d ask or expect or think …

I’d previously written about how I was to sit my exams without completing my tuition. When I prayed, God enabled me to do all the exams with only 65% dues paid, and I never received any disturbance by the financial patrol whose power was to exit whoever hadn’t paid up to 100%. Frankly, that was exceedingly abundantly above what I asked or thought He’d do.

I still tell of the wonder where I missed an exam because I’d miscopied the timetable. When I prepared to resit it, God asked me to go check my results. I found an A! An A for what I didn’t sit for! It was thee highest mark I saw on the list of that course unit! This was exceedingly abundantly above what I had asked for, and God is saying this is available for you too.

Next time you pray, after asking for that overwhelming thing, God wants you to know, that at the point where it feels overwhelming, that’s His starting point. He can do far above what you DARE Him to do. He can do faaaaaar more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He is able to do immeasurably more than what you’re afraid to ask of Him!

Approach Him boldly with this understanding. On top of Him not withholding any good thing from you, He’ll give you more, more than you ask for!

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Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]– (AMP)