Aboundingly Blessed - Understanding God's Abundant Provision
A comprehensive message on God's abundant blessings, revealing His nature as a generous Provider and the requirements for walking in His fullness.
Text: 1 Corinthians 2:9, Ephesians 1:3-14
Preacher: Ptr. Sael Anota
Service: Gift Worship (AM)
Focus: Maturity/Fellowship
Monthly Theme: “Unfolding God’s Abounding Blessing”
The Tragedy of Unrecognized Abundance
A powerful story illustrates our condition: Several years ago, the Los Angeles Times reported the story of an elderly couple found dead in their apartment from malnutrition, despite having $40,000 stored in paper bags in their closet.
Similarly, Hetty Green, called America’s greatest miser, died in 1916 leaving $100 million but lived so miserably that she ate cold oatmeal to save on heating costs and delayed medical treatment for her son so long that his leg had to be amputated.
This tragic irony reflects many believers today - surrounded by God’s abundant provision yet living in spiritual poverty because of fear, unbelief, ignorance, or disobedience.
“A blessing is an act, a gesture or word whereby one person transmits the power of life to another.” — Walter Brueggemann
“Don’t just count your blessings. Be the blessing other people count on.” — Anonymous
The God of Abundance, Not Scarcity
The God we serve is not a God of lack or scarcity - He is the God of abundance. From the first page of Scripture, where He placed Adam in a garden overflowing with beauty and provision, to the closing chapters where He promises a heavenly city of unimaginable glory, God reveals Himself as a generous and abundant Provider.
Abundance is God’s nature. He does not do things half-heartedly. When He gives, He gives in overflowing measure - more than enough. Yet many believers today live far beneath God’s provision.
God desires His children to live in abundance - not just materially, but spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and physically. This abundance is not about greed or materialism; it’s about walking in the fullness of God’s plan, provision, and purpose.
The Foundation: What God Has Prepared
“However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ - the things God has prepared for those who love him.” — 1 Corinthians 2:9
These words remind us of the unimaginable blessings that God has in store for those who love Him. The Apostle Paul reveals the limitless nature of God’s provision for His children.
“How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who [reverently] fear You, Which You have prepared for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of man!” — Psalm 31:19 (AMP)
The Mountain of God’s Blessings
Imagine standing at the foot of a towering mountain - its peaks hidden in the clouds. This mountain represents the blessings that God has in store for us:
- Not just for the here and now, but for eternity
- Not just for our physical needs, but for our spiritual needs
- Not just for us, but for those around us
How do we climb this mountain? How do we access these abundant blessings? The answer lies not in our own strength or wisdom, but in our relationship with God through loving Him, fearing Him, and taking refuge in Him.
Understanding God’s Prepared Blessings
The Nature of God’s Blessings
God’s blessings are not just material or physical. They encompass:
- Spiritual blessings - the peace that surpasses understanding
- Emotional blessings - the joy that is our strength
- Relational blessings - the love that never fails
- Eternal blessings - the assurance of His presence, comfort of His promises, hope of salvation
The Intentionality of God’s Provision
In the original Greek, the word “prepared” (hetoimazo) means to make ready, to prepare, to arrange. It implies a careful, thoughtful, intentional action. God’s blessings are not random or haphazard - they are carefully arranged, thoughtfully prepared, intentionally bestowed.
“God does not give us overflowings of grace to lay them aside to rust.” — Charles Spurgeon
God’s blessings are meant to be used, to be enjoyed, to be shared.
The Requirements for Abundant Blessings
1. Love for God
God’s blessings are reserved for those who love Him. To love God means:
- Obeying His commands and seeking His will
- Desiring His presence and putting Him first
- Trusting Him with all our hearts
- Surrendering all our plans to Him
How do we demonstrate love for God?
- Spending time with Him through prayer and Scripture
- Loving and serving others
- Living a life that honors, reflects, and glorifies Him
2. Obedience to His Commands
“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.” — Deuteronomy 28:1-2
Obedience is not just following rules - it’s having a heart willing to submit to God’s authority, trusting that God knows what’s best for us and choosing to follow His guidance, even when difficult.
3. Faithfulness in All Things
“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” — 1 Corinthians 4:2
God rewards those who are faithful to Him. He has entrusted us with time, talents, and resources, expecting us to use them faithfully for His glory.
Faithfulness is about being committed to God and His purposes - being willing to persevere even in the face of challenges and difficulties.
“God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity that we plan only the things that we can do by ourselves.” — A.W. Tozer
4. An Open Heart to God’s Love and Grace
God wants to bless us with His peace, joy, love, and presence. To receive these blessings, we must open our hearts to Him.
An open heart is:
- Receptive to God’s love and grace
- Willing to be vulnerable and admit its need for God
- Seeking His presence and guidance
- Willing to be transformed and shaped into Christ’s image
God’s Unlimited Provision
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” — Ephesians 3:20
This scripture reminds us that God’s blessings are not limited by our imagination or requests. God can do far more than we can ever ask or imagine - this is the God of abundant blessings.
The Characteristics of God’s Abundant Provision
God’s blessings are:
- Not automatic - they require meeting certain requirements
- Not temporary - they are for eternity
- Not just for enjoyment - they are for transformation
- Not just for comfort - they are for growth
- Not just for us - they are for sharing with others
Walking in God’s Ways for Abundance
Understanding God as Our Father
God is not a distant, unapproachable deity, but a loving, caring Father who wants the best for His children. As our Father, He wants to bless us abundantly, but these blessings come with requirements.
The Journey of Obedience and Faithfulness
The journey to abundant blessings is paved with obedience and faithfulness to God’s commands. It’s not always easy, but it leads to a life filled with blessings beyond our wildest dreams.
When we obey God, we align ourselves with His will and ways. We position ourselves to receive all the good things He has in store for us.
The Purpose of God’s Blessings
We must understand that God’s blessings are not just for us - they are:
- For us to share with others
- For us to use to bless others
- For us to show God’s love to others
- For us to bring glory to God
We are called to be conduits of God’s blessings - vessels through which His love and grace can flow to others.
Key Scriptures of Abundant Blessing
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.” — 1 Peter 1:3-4
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” — John 10:10
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” — 3 John 1:2
“And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:19 AMP
A Call to Abundant Living
God’s abundant blessings are not a secret to be discovered, but a promise to be received. They are not a reward to be earned, but a gift to be enjoyed. They are not a privilege to be hoarded, but a treasure to be shared.
As we strive to love God more, trust God more, and serve God more, may we experience the fullness of His abundant blessings in our lives.
In this season of unfolding God’s abounding blessing, let us position ourselves to receive all that He has prepared for us by:
- Walking in obedience to His Word
- Demonstrating faithfulness in all areas of life
- Opening our hearts to His love and grace
- Using our blessings to bless others
Conclusion: Living as Conduits of Blessing
Dear beloved, we serve a God of abundance - a God who delights in blessing His children, who longs to pour out His blessings upon us. We have seen His promise that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what He has prepared for those who love Him.
But these blessings come with requirements. God desires relationship with us - He wants us to seek Him, love Him, and obey Him.
Let us strive to be more like Jesus - loving as He loved, serving as He served, giving as He gave. Let us remember that our blessings are not just for us, but for us to bless others.
May we be conduits of God’s love and blessings to a world in desperate need, walking in the fullness of His provision and being living testimonies of His abundant goodness.
“Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.” — Psalm 118:25
May the God of abundance shower you with His favor and grace, filling your life with His abundant goodness as you walk in the fullness of His blessings!