Defining Abundance

I was reading through Psalm 105 tonight with my wife and a particular passage really got me thinking about a few things; mostly about how we define abundance. According to dictionary.com it defines the word as "an extremely plentiful or oversufficient quantity or supply". Interesting, not surprising to any of us probably, but interesting.

They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river. (Psalm 105:40-41 ESV)

He didn't just give them some bread, He gave in abundance.
He didn't just give them some water, He gave in abundance.

This passage made me go back to Exodus. As I read through the account of the Israelites, I didn't get a feeling that they really understood this as an abundance. Looking back at the story, many wanted the abundance now, not tomorrow, but now. From God's perspective he gave them "an oversufficient quantity" multiple times over, however to them, they were so concerned about tomorrow that they I really don't think they realized what God was giving them today.

Perhaps looking back on their journey from our position they could say, yes, look at that, God gave us more than we could even use; an abundance. However to them at that time, they were so nearsighted that they didn't realize the blessings that were overflowing right in front of them.

Phew! Glad I'm never like that!

Oh wait.

Why do we do that? We know He provides, and many of us believers have had a chance to experience in one way or another His abundant blessings. However we still worry so much about tomorrow, or think what we have today isn't enough. Being content isn't some new secular or unitarian worldview, it's Biblical to the core.

Next time when my cup is overflowing and He continues to pour, may I look to Him with childlike laughter and say, OK dad, it's enough!

Perhaps that's why He made waterfalls ... to remind us of our blessings that are overflowing ...

His,
~Matthew