Thursday, April 17, 2008

Excess = Emptiness

This "quote" has been bugging me for a few days now... "everything we do in excess is in response to an emptiness". I had never thought about it before... but I have, the last few days. God keeps bringing it back to my memory. I guess there is something (or more likely... many things) I am doing in excess that needs my attention, so that I can give it to His attention. Don't worry... I didn't have to ponder long to come up with a long list of things that I do in excess to fill up an emptiness that I didn't even realize that I had.

God longs to fill up every empty place that we have. That is why in John 4:10 , He calls himself "Living Water". Think about it.... you can fill up with "things" or "people" but the only thing that will go into every little crack and crevice between those "things" and "people" would be a liquid... like water. Picture it. It is true. No matter what you could put into a vase to fill it up.... nothing would fill every single little part except a liquid. One of the properties of a liquid is that is takes on the shape of what it is poured into. (example taken from Beth Moore)

The woman at the well was trying to fill up the emptiness within her with men. Jesus knew that. He confronted her with that fact when he asked her to go call her husband. He knew that she had already had 5 husbands and now had another man that was not her husband. He wanted her to face her emptiness. He wants the same with me. He wants the same with all of us.

I took some time to look us scriptures that talk about being filled. Most of them spoke of a filling that could only come from God. Filled with joy, filled with the glory of the Lord, filled with the Spirit of God, filled with the fruit of righteousness.... all of them come from Him. Why would we go somewhere else to be filled?? Why would I go somewhere else to be filled??

Paul's prayer in Romans 15:13...
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Now that is a filling that I want in excess.....

Remember that God loves you like no one else.

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3 comments:

Beverly said...

WOW! girl, me too.
I want to be filled to the brim.
I want to be flowing over.
"Fill my Cup Lord".

Thanks for sharing your thoughts today. See ya Sunday!

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

Lynn:
I thought about your post as I was out running this morning...thought about all the "wells" I've drawn from to fill up the cracks and crevices that surround my core. Truly, God's living water is the only satisfaction I have known. His Spirit living in me is a deep comfort and wholeness that I have never known though any other "drink".

I want to be filled. But filling comes through pursuit, and these feet are running hard, my friend.

Be blessed this weekend and peace!
~elaine

Leigh L said...

Girl, you are such an encouragement to me! I am so thankful that God made us friends in ALL seasons!!! Thank you for being so willing to share and encourage everyone. Love you!