God’s Bountiful Buffet

Deut 8:9-10 A land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper.¹⁰ when you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.

This world, according to the book of Deuteronomy, is in fact God’s bountiful buffet. The land of promise toward which He was leading His people was described as a land filled with every good thing they could possibly want.

 “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing…”

But remember: the problem with the buffet is that you think you are getting much for little cost. The problem with the bountiful buffet is always that our greed takes over and all we think about is taking; eating, consuming, and it is an illusion that it costs us nothing.

This passage deals with God’s eternal plan for the world, and the great blessings of God which He pours out upon those who trust in His Son Jesus Christ as both their Lord and their Savior.

The Lord is bringing us into a new season of abundance. We may have experienced many difficult and fearful and dangerous experiences in the wilderness to teach us obedience and faith. We may have gone through a season of lack and mere survival.

 We may have lived in the wilderness experience of having just enough and barely getting through. But the Lord is bringing us out of the wilderness into a season of abundance and overflow where we will have more than enough to meet our needs and have plenty left over to share with others in need.

 The God who we worship is a God of abundance; not a God of scarcity. God miraculously and abundantly provided for the Children of Israel as God led them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. God fed them with manna, brought them water out of solid rock, caused their clothes and shoes to never wear out, and covered them with a cloud to protect them from the sun as they traveled.

 

God was giving the Children of Israel a land of abundance. In the first part of our Scripture lesson, God described the land as having plenty of water and a great deal of farmable land. It is a land filled was filled with good fruit and grapes for wine. The hills in the Promised Land contained all the minerals that they to produce farm implements (equipments) and armor. In this land the people would lack no good thing. God wanted the very best for his people.

 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor. (Proverbs 22:9)

•  A bountiful eye: Trusts God by Faith (ch 40)
•  A bountiful eye: Looks to the Future with Hope (Ch 41)
•  A bountiful eye: Sees People with Love (45)

There are two principles in this passage…

First: when you don’t have enough, materially, then it’s fairly easy to remember that we are physical creatures; it is therefore time to rediscover how spiritual we are, and to respond to God with gratitude.

Secondly: when you do have enough, materially, then it’s fairly easy to remember that we are spiritual creatures; and then it is time to rediscover how physical and material we are, and to respond to God with responsibility.

#1 the secret of Bountiful blessing is – Exercise kingdom influence

You have a promised land, the place where you are to exercise kingdom influence. A fish can’t swim on the sidewalk (walk path) and even it has no grace there.  Your promised land where your passion lies… It’s where your heart quickens, where you feel supernatural hunger to intervene and improve a situation. Your promised land will always involve meeting other people’s needs.

Your promised land is not about building you or making you comfortable. It’s about making you useful to others comfortable. 

#2 the secret of Bountiful Blessing is ‘to know’/identity (who you are…)

Good Shepherd knows you & you know the Good Shepherd

No matter where you go, can’t be anonymous with God. Jesus says “I know my sheep,” God knows you and that is a blessing. The word “know” in the Bible gives a deep intimate knowledge of everything about you. Greek word Ginasko means ‘I Know’.

Before creation, Jesus knew your name, he knew who your parents would be, what your life would be like, growing up. He knows what are you good at, what are things that make you happy, and what things make you afraid. Jesus knows you. This is bountiful blessing number one.

• What a blessing, that we have Jesus, who knows us. He sees all of our sins. And he knows how to fix it. That’s what he did on Good Friday. And that’s why he rose on Easter Sunday. “I know my sheep,” Jesus says, “and my sheep know me.”

THE LORD IS BRINGING US INTO A NEW SEASON OF BLESSING…in 2012

Are we ready to receive…refresh…to make a fresh start….

Pastor Shalom

Preached @ Hall of Hope