In 2014 I was asked to speak at a Women’s Aglow meeting. At that time, this message, “When Life is Too Much, He Is More Than Enough”, had already been rolling around in my heart and my head. When I put pen to paper I had no idea that I going to “walk through the fire of my own preaching”. This is how I wrote and delivered what was stirring inside of me.
Nearly a decade ago I was standing in a prayer circle looking at my friend – I could see on her face, “It’s too much!!!”
I heard, “I AM more than enough!
It’s TOO much and God is more than enough. I have been meditating on this for years. That truth has carried me and my family through some very difficult times.
When life is hard – the doctor’s report – your little girl is dead, we don’t expect your son to live, your husband comes home drunk or just doesn’t come home, IRS levies you paycheck, your business is being seized for back taxes, creditors breathing down your neck, your son is in jail or prison, you bury your grandbaby as terrorists are striking your nation, you watch as your daddy take his last breath and steps from this life into the arms of Jesus. Or any other number of things that life brings. Just watching the news can make you think. It’s TOO much!!!
Look at the last two sentences! That was written in 2014. And now as I am getting to ready to post this (6-1-2020) we have just broken out of sheltering in place to riot and destroy. And still, just watching the news can make you think. It’s TOO much!!!
All of those things from “When life is hard…” that was us. We faced every one of those “it’s too much”. By His great grace and incredible strength, we not only made it thru but made it through victoriously.
All through the word we see situations of overwhelming odds and seemingly impossible situations. But these are the places where God shines and God shows off, shows His strength, and stretches forth His mighty right arm.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you (Isaiah 43:2 NKJV).
Numbers 13 gives the account of the spies -“We went to the land where you sent us. It really is a land flowing with milk and honey. Here’s some of its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are strong, and the cities have walls and are very large. We even saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev. The Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the mountain region. And the Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and all along the Jordan River.”
30 Caleb told the people to be quiet and listen to Moses. Caleb said, “Let’s go now and take possession of the land. We should be more than able to conquer it.”
31 But the men who had gone with him said, “We can’t attack those people! They’re too strong for us!” 32 So they began to spread lies among the Israelites about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored is one that devours those who live there. All the people we saw there are very tall. 33 We saw the Nephilim there. (The descendants of Anak are Nephilim.) We felt as small as grasshoppers, and that’s how we must have looked to them.”
IT’S TOO MUCH!!!
Joshua 14: 10 And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so, is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
12 Now, therefore, give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.
MY GOD IS MORE THAN ENOUGH
Jehosophat 2 Chronicles 20 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat. 2 Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea.
What is the army coming up against us? As individuals? As a city? As a nation?
You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They (we) have lived in it and have built-in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel as he stood in the assembly. 15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’” As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of his[c] holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”
22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against them
24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing[d] and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.
THAT IS A GOD THAT IS MORE THAN ENOUGH.
Being thankful and praising in the midst of your “too much” is huge in not only turning your situation but thriving until it turns.
Paul and Silas
Acts 16: 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
Gideon- The Midianites were as far as the eye could see and Gideon saw himself as the least of the least.
Goliath – 1 Samuel 17 8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
9 If he is able to fight with me and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
40 days morning and evening Israel listened to Goliaths threats and taunts.
David KNEW and was confident that HIS God was more than enough.
When it’s TOO much – when our strength fails – when provision is lacking – when our bucket is not only empty but we are at the bottom of the barrel – when everyone has left us.
When God is MORE than enough
Wise men
Water to wine
Fish and loaves
He wrecked every funeral
He healed all
Samaritan Women – John 4 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life
The scourging and the torture of the cross were for sure a situation of “This is TOO much!”
Isaiah 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: some of them or all of them
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, (some or all) he was bruised for our iniquities (some or all): the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes, we are healed. (of some diseases or all of them)
Let me leave you with John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy “It’s TOO much”: I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. “I AM MORE THAN ENOUGH”.
’til next time,
Nathalie
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