Over and Above in 2012
Merry Monday by Parris Bailey
Ps.78:15,16 “He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.”
I am pleasantly closing out 2011, it was a vintage year. God met Frank and I and Victory Fellowship in so many ways and with that I felt strongly that 2011 was just a shadow of what God would display in 2012. “God can do anything, you know-far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” (Ephesians 3:20 MSG)
He loves to meet us in extraordinary ways! When the Israelites thirsted in the wilderness He could have water come up out of the ground or even from a plant, instead having it gush forth from a rock is well, extraordinary. Not only gush but quench the thirst of over 3 million people plus livestock. He wants to meet you in unexpected ways in 2012! Our part is to become empty of everything that would prevent us from seeing Christ as who He really is. What is it that will consume your time, thought, and energy in the coming year? Is it who will become president, or who checked into Starbucks on Facebook, or what your children are doing or not doing, or what your coworkers should be doing or not doing and the list goes on and on. The New Testament speaks of the rock being Christ. What the Lord was trying to show the Israelites was just as He bought forth water from the rock and over supplied so He would be with you everyday of your life going over and above, far more than what we could ever expect, even in our wildest dreams!
In Is.55:1 it starts with a exclamation of HO! Meaning this is an urgent cry to pay attention! The verse goes on to say that “everyone that is thirsty is to come to the waters”. I must learn to drink on a daily basis from this rock, I must try by the Holy Ghost to rid myself from all self love, self pity, and all its cousins. Yes, He is there for me to go over and above in my life if I open myself up to him.
We can choose to drink from other cisterns but we, sooner or later, will find them just ordinary cisterns. He wants to come into the normal, ordinary gardens of our heart and make them beautiful and full of wonderful spices and scents for the world to see. The Israelites kept focused on what they didn’t have instead of what they had. John 1:16 says of “his fullness we have received grace upon grace.” The water that gushed out from the rock speaks of fullness everyday and every way. Over and above- His plans for us are always a win win. Our part is join in the steps of the master and submit to His will. I pray that 2012 will be “over and above” for you. After all He has done “over and above” already!