David wrote in Ps23:5, “My cup runneth over”.  His cup was filled to capacity and running over.  We can appreciate what he was saying, for in our own lives our cup:

Runneth over with the fulness of God. David said in Ps 16:5, “The Lord is the portion of… my cup”.  Eph 3:19, says that we should be “filled with all the fulness of God”.  He is more than my cup can hold.  Yet my cup can hold other things besides him.  That’s why we need to beware of covetousness and to be content with him. We must be empty of other things and filled with him.  We should be filled with the Spirit to overflowing.  As Jesus said, “out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”, Jn 7:38.

Runneth over with the grace of God.  We have an abundance of grace for our all sufficiency in all things, 2 Cor 9:8.  The more we empty ourselves of our own sufficiency, like the Macedonians did, the more we are filled, beyond capacity, with the grace of God.  Like them, we “having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work”.

Runneth over with the power of God.  He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Eph 3:20-21.  When we are filled with God and his Holy Spirit, he can do through us so much more than we could ever do, ourselves.  His power works in us and through us.  The less of us, the more of him.

Runneth over with the provision of God.  When we give to meet the needs of others, God gives, running over our measure, to meet our needs, Lk 6:38.  In a sense, we become a conduit.  We let what God gives us flow through us to meet the needs of others.  Because we always have more than we need, we can meet others’ needs.  See Eph 4:28.

Conclusion: If you have something in your life that is limiting the fulness of God, get rid of it; and like David, you will then say, “My cup runneth over”.

To read and hear the prior sermon in this series, see Thou Anointest My Head With Oil. To read and hear the next sermon in this series, see Goodness and Mercy.