HARVEST OF OVERFLOWING BLESSING
God is a God of more than enough at the eleventh hour
Psa 23:5 KJV Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
My cup runneth over – It is not merely “full;” it runs over. This, too, indicates abundance; and from the abundance of the favors thus bestowed, the psalmist infers that God would always provide for him, and that He would never leave him to want.
The “God of more than enough” refers to El Shaddai, a Hebrew name for God that means “the All-Sufficient One” or “the God Who is more than enough”. This title emphasizes God’s ability to provide for all needs, not just minimally, but with an abundance that allows one to be a blessing to others. It signifies God’s power to fulfill promises of blessings and prosperity, even when circumstances seem overwhelming.
Meaning and significance
- More than enough: The phrase suggests having “extra left over” to meet the needs of others, not just what is required for oneself.
- All-Sufficient One: El Shaddai means God has all that is needed and is completely sufficient for every situation.
- Source of provision: It is a promise that God can and will supply all needs, whether they are for peace, joy, or material things.
- Promise of blessing: The title is associated with the story of Abraham, where God promised him descendants and a great reward, which was later expanded upon to include the concept of being blessed to be a blessing.
TEXT: 2Ki 4:1-7 KJV 1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. 2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. 3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. 4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. 5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest..
The servant of God served God faithfully and yet he died miserably poor and unable to pay all his debts.
The culture and custom in those days permitted the creditors to take into custody the person that is indebted directly or his children into slavery in order to work out the money.
Lev 25:39-40 KJV 39 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: 40 But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile:
It would amount to double jeopardy for the wife of the prophet to lose her husband and at the same time her children being taken away from her. Her sorrow would be doubled and uncontrollable.
She ran to the boss of her husband-the Senior prophet. When you are in trouble, where do you run to? She cried to Elisha because she believed that her tears would be wiped away. Her solution will come. She will be relieved by providing assistance from the senior prophets.
Elisha asked her two questions in rapid succession; Elisha asked her what I could do for you. What do you have in your house?
I can relate very well with this first question because we Pastor and few people always want to microwave and find short cuts to people’s problems. We may not be doing them good because we diminished their capacity to be self-reliant and independent. If Elisha had stopped at that question and went inside to give some material or money, very soon and not in the distant future the woman would have come back crying for help again.
Elisha knew the consequences and quickly asked the second question from the woman, what do you have in your house?
Why would Elisha ask a sorrowful woman that kind of question? If she had anything that could solve her problem, would she have come to you? I wanted to know why Elisha asked her what she had in the house. Why was it of importance to Elisha? If she had anything tangible in the house, would she not have disposed of it off and settled her debt? She wouldn’t have any need to run to Elisha. What kind of question is that?
After the creation work finished in Gen 1 & 2, God has not created any new thing without an existing material. When He made Eve, He did not go back to the soil to start afresh but took the already existing bone of Adam to form Eve. Apart from the miracle of Manna, all other things done were made from what is already in place. In other words, God uses what we already have to bless us.
Based on this, Elisha was telling the woman, why are you crying to me, the solution to your need is already in your house.
The woman had been reduced to zero level. I pray for you; every yoke of nothingness and empty be broken in Jesus’ name.
The woman replied to Elisha that she only had a little oil.That was it. She had something to do. It was not that big pot but a small anointing oil. Even though she looked down on it as being small, yet the answer to her crying is in that little jar of oil.
God is interested in the little or small things:
Job 8:7 KJV Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
Mic 5:2 KJV But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Zec 4:10 KJV For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
Divine instruction and human cooperation brought the needed miracle. She has to act by faith. It sounds foolish to borrow an empty vessel, lock yourself in the room and attempt to fill the jerry cans, but she did just that and her miracle shows up.
He bids her borrow of her neighbours empty vessels, and, to avoid interruption from her creditors, or not to boast of the miracle, shut her door
The number of vessels borrowed was a reflection of her faith. It’s not when oil begins to flow that she will be running up and down. The door was shut.
2Ki 4:5-6 KJV 5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
After this encounter your miracle will manifest in Jesus’ name.
She came to report to Elisha what had happened. This is what Elisha told her:
2Ki 4:7 KJV Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.”
She never came back begging or troubling Elisha. There was overflowing of the oil that paid her debt and made to start
What do you have in your house, store, workshop, business center?
God’s blessings do not rest in a vacuum. He uses what we already have to meet our needs.
The blessing is God’s favour spoken over you that causes not addition but multiplication.
When God wanted to bless the widow of Zarephath through Elijah, God multiplied what she had.
1Ki 17:15-16 KJV 15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. 16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
Elisha replicated what his boss did when they brought a few loaves of bread to be served to 100 men.
2Ki 4:43-44 KJV 43 And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, they shall eat, and shall leave thereof. 44 So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.
The two times the Lord Jesus multiplied bread to feed 5000 men and 4000 men, He used already existing bread and fishes.
Mat 14:19 KJV And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Mat 15:36-38 KJV 36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. 38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
In the two cases, they had more than enough. Extra baskets of leftovers were gathered.
Mar 8:19-20 KJV 19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. 20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
This is based on the promises we have in the word
Deu 28:8 KJV The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Pro 3:9-10 KJV 9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Mal 3:10 KJV Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Deu 28:12 KJV The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
Why does God want to bless us with overflowing blessings?
God wants us to have more than enough. He doesn’t want us to have barely enough for the following reasons:
- So that we may be His arm to give and be a blessing
Gen 12:2 KJV And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:.
Eph 4:28 KJV Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Pro 28:27 KJV He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.
Deu 15:11 KJV For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
- So that He can establish His covenant. Take heed of saying, so much as in thy heart, that proud word, my power, even the might of my hand, hath gotten me this wealth, Num 8:.17. Note, we must never take the praise of our prosperity to ourselves, nor attribute it to our ingenuity or industry; for bread is not always to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, Eccl.9: 11.
Deu 8:18 KJV But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
All God’s gifts are in pursuance of his promises.
- So that the kingdom’s agenda may be advanced and propagated. If you key in into this; you will get abundance. God places His wealth in the hands of Kingdom trustees.
2Co 9:8 KJV And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
Eph 2:10 KJV For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Exo 36:5-7 KJV 5 And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make. 6 And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. 7 For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
- So that everyone will know that your Father is El shaddai; all sufficient God.
Gen 17:2 KJV And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
Eph 3:20 KJV Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Praise and thanksgiving produce overflowing blessings
Praise is an instrument of warfare.
Psa 8:2 KJV Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
Jesus quoted the passage but made alteration
Mat 21:16 KJV And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
He changed “ordained strength” to “perfected praise” for the same purpose which is to still the enemy and the avengers. Praise becomes an instrument of warfare. When we pray, angels take our prayers to God Rev 5: 8 but when we praise Him; He comes down by Himself. He inhabit the praises of His people Ps 22: 3
Three nations came against Judah, but God asked them to use instruments of praise and thanksgiving. While they were praising God, God set ambushments against the enemies and they helped destroy one another. You know the story very well. But the most interesting part is here:
2Ch 20:25 KJV And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.
After this thanksgiving service, you will take possession of your enemies’ riches in Jesus’ name. The wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous.
What must we do?
1. Appreciate God for that little or small thing. It is a seed.
1Th 5:18 KJV In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
2. Align your priority to that of the kingdom. When our desire is for the kingdom to prosper. God will put it in our hands. If it is in your heart, it will get into your hands.
Mat 6:33 KJV But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
2Co 9:8 KJV And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
Luk 6:38 KJV Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
3. Bring your empty vessels to God for God fills empty vessels.
Mat 5:6 KJV Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
4. Be a consistent and additive sower and giver. He gives bread to the eater but seeds to the sower.
2Co 9:10 KJV Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
Isa 55:10 KJV For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
2Co 9:6 KJV But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
5. A life of Thanksgiving precedes the release of overflowing. The Lord Jesus gave thanks and the bread multiplied.
Psa 67:5-6 KJV 5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 6 Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.
6. Use your mouth. The Greek word for mouth is “stomai” it means a sharp edge of a weapon. With it we can cut out our path, invoke provisions, cause changes, command blessings to flow, and stop the adversaries.
The issue is not what we have physically, but we are like the widow woman, we have used our mouth to curse, despise and malign what the Lord wants to use to bless us.
Jesus used His words and blessed the little bread and they multiplied. Elisha used his words and prophesied on the little bread given unto him and it fed 100 men.
Mat 12:37 KJV For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Num 14:28 KJV Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
It may be small and insignificant but speaks over it vehemently. Elijah prophesied, Elisha did the same and the Lord Jesus spoke a word of blessing on what He had.
Prayers:
- Lord opens my eyes to see what is in my house
- Whatever you have given unto me, I command your blessing of multiplication on it.
- He said, “I will bless the work of your hand.” Hands be blessed from today. Your hands are an instrument of your economic empowerment.
- I break the yoke of labouring in vain over my life and destiny in Jesus name.
Isa 65:23 KJV They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
- Every waster of resources be wasted out of my life.
- Every Midianites assigned to destroy the blessings of God in my life perish by fire in Jesus name.
Jdg 6:4-6 KJV 4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. 6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.