Wagon Tracks: Abundance of Heart and Mind

Good morning!  This morning I’m sitting in my recliner, enjoying a cup of coffee and studying God’s Abundance…  

“They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from the River of Your delights.”  

Psalm 36:8

Our days can be so riddled with negativity and the demands of mundane life that our minds, hearts, and attitudes NEED us to focus on all the GOOD the Lord has done!  The Bible tells us to be purposeful about thinking on good, positive, lovely things (Philippians 4:8).  What’s more lovely than Abundance?  

My favorite definition of Abundance is “overflowing fullness.” There are (an abundance of) 231 verses in the Bible that mention this aspect of God’s character!  Here are a few of my favorites… 

• John 10:10 – “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].”

• Jeremiah 31:14 – “I will fully satisfy the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people will be satisfied with My goodness,” says the LORD.”

• 2 Corinthians 9:8 – “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

• Ephesians 3:20-21 – “Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

But here at the beginning of a brand new year, this verse on Abundance stood out to me and I thought I’d share:

“You crown the year with Your Bounty; Your wagon tracks overflow with Abundance.”

Psalm 65:11

The entire chapter of Psalm 65 is all about God’s beautifully abundant bounty!  But I specifically love verse 11’s mention of “wagon tracks.” Not the wagon itself, but the wagon tracks. Makes me smile because it speaks of moving forward… which is one of my favorite things. 

This verse is a picture of Blessing in Motion. If the wagon wasn’t moving, there would be no tracks. And if the wagon wasn’t full, there would be no abundance. Those are the two things this verse is teaching me this morning. Get full and get moving!

Step One… Get Your Wagon FULL!

The Bible, in John 15, talks about abiding in the vine.  Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. There is nothing we can do apart from remaining in Jesus.  These verses say that if we remain in Him, and His Word remains in us, we can ask whatever we wish and it will be done for us.

That’s where it all begins.  

I’m convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that if we remain in open communication with the Father… through honest and consistent prayer (It doesn’t have to be perfect. He will meet you at your steps of faith!)… and if we make it our goal to remain in His Word more and more consistently as we grow, that He will be with us.  The Bible is full of God’s Spirit, and we cannot help but to be changed and made whole by it. All it takes are tiny actions of faith… 

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.“

John 15:10-11

This is what I mean by filling your wagon.  It’s in seeking to know God more by remaining in His Word… it’s in searching for a place of real intimacy between you and God through honest prayer and just laying it all out on the table… it’s in finding that place where you believe that you are loved, accepted, and forgiven by a Holy God who knows you deeply and loves you still.

You have been made perfect… holy.  You are God’s own special treasure… priceless.  And you did nothing to earn it.  Believing that… having faith in it… that’s abiding.  That’s filling your wagon. And the abundance that comes from this type of relationship with the Father is unmistakable. Even if you’re not there yet, the simple desire to be there mixed with a little bit of faith in action will start getting the job done! 

Step Two… Get Your Wagon MOVING!!

I believe we were made to move. Because of the life of Christ which is living in us, we are His workmanship, created to do His good works (Ephesians 2:10). He prepared us for good works and has set us in authority over the works of His hands (Hebrews 2:7). The Apostle Paul said that he focused on this one thing: forgetting the past and straining forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13)! This is the life of real purpose that the Father has given to us… purpose like we never dreamed possible! 

But sometimes… many times… life gets in the way of fulfilling that purpose, or even knowing what our true purpose really is!  

The truth of the matter is that we do have a real enemy, and he has come only to kill, steal, and destroy all the good that Christ wants to do in our lives (John 10:10). He will do everything he can to stand in our way, but we have the power to make him stop, in Jesus’ name. 

Passivity

One of the biggest things we face today is the temptation to become passive, and passivity is probably the greatest thief in our time. I’m sure we can all agree… it’s easier to sit down and scroll on our phones, or click onto a great TV show, than it is to stand up and move forward in Christ. It’s a real fight that I know all too well, and it must be faced head on with a “no” and a “click” to turn those distractions off. Comfort feels great, and we all need to rest and refresh sometimes, but as soon as we get passive, life starts going downhill. 

• Passivity can refer to a lack of courage, lack of confidence, and lack of persistence to accomplish what God has called us to do. Passivity is also inactivity, being subdued in attitude, not responding to a word or action that was received. Passivity also refers to the inability to resist evil. It refers to being dull and without energy, emotionless and inexpressive. The apostle Paul told Timothy that God did not give him the spirit of fear (timidity, passivity), but a spirit of power and love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). https://scripturenuggets.wordpress.com/tag/passivity/

Remember that there is Abundance in His Wagon Tracks.  If we get our wagons filled up so we know and dwell in the love of God, but then we do nothing with it to spread His love and sow it to others, all we have gained will profit us nothing.  We will find ourselves dying on the vine (John 15:6). 

But the Bible says that a man’s gifts will make a way for him (Proverbs 18:6).  It says, “give and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:38).  If we desire to reap in Abundance, we must sow in Abundance… and the Father is ready to help us do just that.

Wagon Tracks… 

The greatest thing about all of this is that the Bible tells us not to despise small beginnings (Zech 4:10)… (There’s so much hope in every Word the Father speaks!)  Even the simplest things count when we do them with a heart that seeks to please God… and if we decide to start with small steps of obedience, our faith will increase with every step:

• Maybe it’s volunteering at church, or helping a friend in need.  
• Maybe it’s baking cookies and knocking on a neighbor’s door to offer a friendly hello, a hug, and a prayer.
• It could be writing letters of encouragement to friends and family, or to someone new you just met. 
• Or maybe it’s starting a weekly small group in your home.

Whatever you can do… whatever talent you have… it is a gift the Lord has given you that you can give to others! Something we often don’t realize is that we have been created to be a light in this darkened world. And all it takes is for us to stand where we are… and shine.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.“

Matthew 5:14-16

Who gets the leftovers?

Imagine that the Father is moving forward in His abundantly full wagon, and we… following closely behind Him… are showered with the overflow. Now imagine your own overflowing wagon, and look behind you. Who is following closely behind YOU and reaping the benefit of YOUR overflow?

One thing I know about the love of God is that if He can get it TO us, He can get it THROUGH us to others. We truly can be the hands and feet of Jesus… loving those around us, taking every opportunity to serve, raising up those who are younger and teaching them to shine, as well.

This is our great purpose. And there is so much JOY to be had in it.

Praying we trust Him more. Praying we get full and get moving, as the Father shows us how. Praying we rest in the knowledge that He will do just that. In Jesus’ name.