Stories about families or individuals going from rags to riches always make everyone curious. Most people wanted to know what the person did to transform himself from poor to prosperous.
As followers of Jesus, we have all gone through empty to overflowing. Jesus Christ rescued us when we were at zero, and lifted us up so we could produce a surplus. Our zero does not necessarily refer to financial distress, most often, we find ourselves ready to surrender to Jesus just when we are at the lowest point of our life, or sometimes amid our spiritual bankruptcy.
But as our Messiah allows circumstances to empty us, He takes us in and further hollows us out so that we can wash away our sinfulness, and make way for His presence in our lives.
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26
Only when we have been truly emptied, will we experience the overflowing graces of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, several stories along this line come to mind. One of which is in the Book of Job.
Job, who was a very righteous man, had to lose everything he had in one day — his livelihood, his children, and even his good health. But as God allowed Job’s faith to be tested, the Lord also saw how Job remained steadfast in His devotion to Him. Job’s response to the difficulties he faced is now often quoted in praise songs:
“And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21
The Lord then moved in Job’s life and transformed it from empty to overflowing. He restored everything Job lost, and even doubled his blessings:
“And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters.” Job 42:12-13
Indeed, when we allow God to work in our lives, and trust Him even in our season of emptiness, He will transform us into a vessel of hope. From a life filled with sinfulness and devoid of spirituality, God will restore us. He will repurpose our life in such a way that the abundance we will experience all overflow to others.
“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.” Joel 2:25
And while abundance does not always mean material prosperity, the rich grace of the Lord offers us the kind of wealth that even the deepest pockets cannot buy. In one of his Psalms, King David described this kind of abundance:
“You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.” Psalm 4:7
And indeed, we can all agree. Having peace of mind, fellowship and guidance of the Lord, sleeping through the night without having to take pills, and forging meaningful moments with loved ones, and leaving them a legacy of joyful memories are far too expensive even for the richest man. And as Israel’s greatest King said:
“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8
God’s presence in our life does not mean we will not go through the fire. But it means, we can endure the heat, and come out not even smelling like smoke because He is not just standing with us amid the flames, He is enveloping us in His loving protection (Daniel 3:16-28).
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Job 1:1-21 and Job 42:10-17 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Are you at a zero right now? Do you believe God can transform your life into abundance that even has a surplus?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for moving in my life, and transforming me from empty to overflowing. I could never be worthy of such grace but you are just so loving and merciful. Thank you for your kindness, and please give me the grace to reach out to others so that I could be a channel of your grace and mercy. Amen.
