“. . .that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:19b
When He indwells us, He also wants to fill us to overflowing.
“That you might be filled.”
How’s your spiritual gas tank today, Pilgrim? Full and overflowing? Half-empty? Running on fumes? Regardless, today’s Manna calls us to not settle for less than God’s Best—which is our being “filled to running over” with Christ and His Love for us.
The Greek word “pleroo” is used here for “filled” and also means “to cram full, fill in a hollow, level up, etc.,” but also means “to satisfy, accomplish, execute, fulfill, supply, etc.” Thus, it’s the picture of a never-ending supply much like a container sitting under the spout of an ever-flowing artesian spring. The pot’s responsibility, if you will, is simply sitting under the spring, with its cool, clean water continually flowing over the sides to the thirsty ground that surrounds it.
But, in our case this “Spring of Living Water” is Jesus Himself (Jn. 4:1-14), Who wants us to be “filled with ALL the fullness of God.” Or, another way to put it is He wants us to be totally saturated and satiated with “Who He is and what He has promised” (Heb. 11:6). And, when this occurs, we’ll experience the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 3:11; Mk. 1:8; Lk. 3:16), which is an unleashing of His Presence and Power within us (Acts 1:8).
The key to this is position and surrender.
Again, a pitcher can’t be filled unless it’s directly under the water’s source. And neither can we be “filled with all the fullness of God” unless we’re under His direct Authority. This will require a daily “denying of ourselves, taking up our cross and following Him” (Lk. 9:23). And, that won’t happen until we surrender to Him, confessing our utter need of Him and desperately desire Him to fill us to overflowing with Himself and His Love.
Someone once said, “You can’t fill a pitcher that’s already full.”
So true, so true.
And, dear Pilgrim, the same is true in the spiritual realm.
If we’re full of self or sin. . .the world’s possessions and pleasures. . .we’ll never experience “the fullness of God.” We’ll continually struggle with “dullness (slowness) of hearing” (Heb. 5:11) and never move beyond the “ABCs of the faith” because of our failure to “use and exercise ourselves in things pertaining to God” (Heb. 5:12-14).
Are you “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18) or are you running on empty? Is the “joy of the Lord your strength” (Neh. 8:10) or are you “growing weary in well-doing” (Gal. 6:9a) because of wrong focus and misplaced priorities?
Let today be the day you’re “filled with all the fullness of God.” Commit yourself today to a daily reading of His Word and continual communion with your Savior. Then, allow His contagious Life and Love to flow through you—for there are many thirsty souls who desperately need to know Him (Is. 55:1-3; Rev. 22:17).
By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated September 18, 2010
