Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 3:8-11

“The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Luke 17:20b-21

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As a younger sibling, my daughter has never known what it is like to have me all to herself, and while I have poured myself out in so many ways, somehow her little heart is wired towards scarcity. She seems to think that she must make it very clear that she needs me and clings to me with all her might as if there won’t be enough of me. 

Isn’t that all of us? We fear that there isn’t enough—enough money, enough time, enough opportunities—you name it. In a world where fear can drive our choices, we live as though each thing we long for is in rare supply. And we allow it to divide us—we compete, we battle, we withhold. 

But that’s not the story of Israel, is it? In a season of famine, God stood outside of time and planned for provision through abundance and wise leadership. In a story of conflict and betrayal, God carved a heart of forgiveness from a disillusioned prisoner through trial and testimony. When a nation stood at the brink of literal destruction, God used a foreign nation to give them rest, safety, and a new land to call home. God’s power stepped outside of the foreseeable reality into a greater plan. 

When Jesus talked about the kingdom of God, it was present and real, yet it was far beyond the limitations of our finite imaginations. The kingdom of God permeates everything—the seen and the unseen, the imagined and the impossible, the physical and the heavenly—there is nothing that exists outside the Kingdom of God. There is more than we can ask or imagine within reach. 

The church of the New Testament was a tapestry of people who could have seen each other as a threat in a world that was finite—in fact, their ethnic boundaries and social constructs should have informed their belief systems. But through loving acts of generosity and an understanding of God’s kingdom, they experienced unity and abundance,  driving them to love,  give,  encourage, and forgive. The plans of God to unite people through grace and hope stretch far outside the bounds of our limited beliefs about the world. That’s the glorious power of an abundant God. 

Next Steps

Where are you experiencing a heart of scarcity? Spend some time in reflective prayer, offering that part of your heart to God. Then, take some time to listen to how the abundant God of all things responds.