GOD’S PLAN FOR ABUNDANCE

No matter what the world goes through, God’s nature never changes.   His mandate to Adam and Eve in the Garden in Genesis 1:28 was “be fruitful and multiply”. 

This is still God’s desire for His people today.  Here are some insights on abundance….

1)  GOD HAS DECREED MULTIPLICATION

Luke 9:12-17- When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”  But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.”  And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.”  For there were about five thousand men.  Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”  And they did so, and made them all sit down.  Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.

The disciples likely remembered how Elishah fed 100 men with 20 loaves (II Kings 4:42-44) so they probably said, “I bet He’s going to pray over the loaves and fish and we’ll see them multiply right in front of our eyes.”  That’s not what happened.  The miracle didn’t happen in Jesus’ hands but in the hands of the disciples.   Notice that before the food multiplied, Jesus blessed it and then gave it away to the disciples.  Back in Genesis 1:28, before God said “be fruitful and multiply,” it says, “And God blessed them”. 

There are mainly three things that hinder the blessing of God on your finances:  These are debt, manipulating your finances and not giving.   We all need a revelation that all our money is God’s money, then ask Him, “What do you want me to do with it?”

2)    GOD HAS DECREED ABUNDANCE 

Isaiah 55:1-5-  “Ho!  Everyone who thirsts, come t the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat.  Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?  Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.  Incline your ear, and come to Me.  Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you- the sure mercies of David.  Indeed, I have given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people.  Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and the Holy One of Israel; for He has glorified you.”

The nature, the cost and the purpose of abundant life is seen in verse 1.   Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat.  Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

God is saying, “Come and make a purchase but you don’t need any money for this one.”  What do you spend?  Yourself.  He is describing abundance as a commodity that is far too expensive for us to ever pay for.  God’s desire for you and I is that we have so much joy, love, peace, knowledge, even power and anointing; we have to find someone to share it with.  The abundant life means there is so much that I have to look for those in need who can take some from me.  Look at verse 2…

3)    HEARING FROM GOD IS THE KEY TO ABUNDANCE

v. 2- Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? 

In this verse, God reduces every pursuit, every desire and ambition down to one thing: invest in what will truly satisfy.   The answer to what will truly bring satisfaction to us is found in the last part of this verse…  v. 2b-… listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.

What is He saying?  “The food that you hunger for and the food that will satisfy is only released when I talk.”   That thing of destiny, of purpose, and of significance, is only satisfied when He speaks to us.  This is why when Jesus was tempted with bread by Satan in the wilderness ,His reply was, “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”.   The key to an abundant life is connected to one thing: you have to hear His voice.

Our culture is geared toward being achievers and accomplishers.   If you ask most believers, “Why do you want to hear God’s voice?” their response would be, “I just want God to show me His plan and will for my life.”  If this is the case, then there needs to be a shift in why we want to hear God’s voice.   Instead of the pursuit of knowing God’s will for my life, let’s make the shift to “my life for God’s will”.   This means making a shift from Him fulfilling my dreams and ambitions to coming to the place of listening just to hear so I can be obedient to fulfilling His dreams and ambitions through me.  We need to resist the self-absorbed motivation to only seek God’s voice for personal direction or blessing, rather than for the purpose of fellowship.

v. 3- Incline your ear, and come to Me.  Hear, and your soul shall live

Many of us, due to the fallen world we live in, have been damaged emotionally.  He’s saying, “ that thing in you that is dying, that walks with a limp, that many others know nothing about, if you hear Me, your soul shall live.”  If you believe that the blood of Jesus has erased every sin you’ve ever committed, you won’t suffer guilt and condemnation.

Equally available to you is the freedom and release from every emotional wound that has injected poison into your soul.   The purpose of abundance is found in verse 5…

v. 5  Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and the Holy One of Israel; for He has glorified you.

Why would God give you more than you could ever use?  This is because a crisis is unfolding throughout your community and all over the world.  When the five loaves and two fish were given to Jesus as an offering to feed the multitude, He lifted them up to heaven and gave thanks to God for it and He blessed it.  Then, instead of satisfying His own hunger, which He could have rightfully done as the Messiah and leader of the people, He handed it back to the disciples.  When this happened, a spiritual dynamic kicked in.  The gift of food that would never be enough for the thousands needing fed became more than enough.  In fact, there were 12 basketfuls of fish and bread left over; enough for one basket to go for each disciple!  God is the multiplier of that which is placed in His hands.