Category Archives: Leftovers

Abundance, Bible, Blessed, Blessing, Comfort, Grace, Leftovers, Love, Overflowing, Scripture

OVERFLOWING

ROMANS 5:15

“But the gracious gift is not like the offense. For if by the offense of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many.”

I have been the recipient of extreme blessings in my past. During both of my health crises, family and friends stepped up and helped us financially. I remember there was one Sunday School class that took up over $2700 to help with our expenses. I had others who sent checks for $500 or $300. These were all gifts that were unsolicited – just given liberally. We were overwhelmed and so thankful to them and our Savior.

Paul uses a word for “overflow” that is used almost 40 times in the New Testament. The Greek word is perisseuó which means “to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluous.” (Lexical Summary) It gives us a picture of receiving above and beyond what we could ever expect. That’s our God. He blows our doors off!

APPLICATION

This is the word used by the Gospel writers when they described the leftover fragment of fish and bread that the disciples gathered following the feeding of the 4000 and 5000. It said the baskets overflowed. Not only did Jesus take a little and make a lot, but He also provided leftovers. Come on now, who doesn’t like leftovers?

In 1 Thessalonians 3:12, Paul instructs the believers “and may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;” Okay now, get that picture in your head of the disciples’ baskets overflowing with fish and bread and apply that to the love you overflow to others. Our love should be that way. It should literally overflow.

We’re even told in 2 Corinthians 1:5, “For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.” The word “abundant” is perisseuó once again. Now get the picture: His grace overflows, therefore, our love should overflow, and our comfort should overflow. Can you do that? Can you spill over on others what Christ has given you through His grace? Be a fountain of love and comfort for others?

Father, make me a fountain of love and comfort to others, beginning with my own family.

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Bible, Discernment, Knowledge, Leftovers, Scripture

OVERFLOWING LOVE

PHILIPPIANS 1:9

“And this I pray, that your love may overflow still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,” 

Have you ever known anyone who just overflowed with love? Besides my wife, I have known a few others. The moment they meet you, they want to know how they can best serve you. They are interested in everything about you. They will sacrifice themselves to ensure your needs are met. They just ooze love out of every pore.

The Greek word Paul uses here for “may overflow” is perisseúō, which means “to be over and above, to abound.” But just look at how Paul wanted their love to overflow. He prayed it would have “real knowledge and all discernment.” Ask yourself this question – Do I love that way or my own way? You might just surprise yourself with your answer.

APPLICATION

Perisseúōwas also used to describe the incidents of feeding the 5,000 and the 4,000 in Matthew. In Matthew 14:20 and 15:37, Matthew wrote that after the food was distributed and everyone was fed, food “was left over.” I don’t know about your house, but when I was growing up, we ate a lot of leftovers. I remember my mom saving up all the leftover vegetables and then making a pot of soup or stew she called goulash. It was still good food.

But unlike my mom’s leftover goulash, I guarantee you the leftover food from these two incidents in Scripture was just as good, if not better than what the people ate. Remember Jesus’ first miracle – turning water into wine? They said this wine, which was served last (the leftovers) was better than what was served first.

Why am I talking so much about leftovers? These leftovers were what was left from an abundant meal. It kept going. It kept serving. Our love should be that way. We should never run out of love for someone. Let your love today be overflowing and know how to do that wisely (in real knowledge and all discernment). Love like Jesus loves!

Thank You, Lord, for Your overflowing love for me.

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