God will fill all your lack to the brim
Charles Spurgeon
SUMMARY: The passage from Philippians means that God will fill all our needs to the brim, just like the woman who had empty oil jars and received enough oil to fill all the borrowed containers. The more needs we have, the more God will fill them. He gives abundantly to His people and meets all our spiritual needs. We should be grateful for our needs, as they are opportunities for God to show His generosity.
The present passage from Philippians could be translated thus: "My God will fill all your lack to the brim." The illustration that will best explain the meaning is that of a woman whose children were to be sold by her creditor to pay her late husband's debts. She had nothing that she could call her own except some empty oil jars, and the prophet ordered her to put them in order, and to bring the little oil that was left in the container. She did so, and he said to her later: "Go and borrow pots for yourself from all your neighbors, empty pots, not a few." She went to one neighbor and another until she had filled her room completely with these empty vessels, and then the prophet said to her: "Pour into all the vessels." She began pouring oil from her nearly empty jar into all the other containers, and to his surprise she filled even the largest containers. So he went to another pot, and filled it, and then another and another. Thus he kept filling all the jars with oil, until at last he said to the prophet: "There are no more jars." Then the oil stopped, but it wasn't until then.
The same will happen with what they need. You were scared of being too lacking right now, weren't you? But now please be so kind as to think that you do, for it is only a matter of several empty vessels to be filled. If the woman had only borrowed a few vessels, she would not have been able to receive much oil; but the more empty vessels he had, the more oil he got. So the more lacks and the more needs you have, if you bring them before God, it will be much better, because He will fill them to the brim, and you can be thankful that there is so much space to fill. When you have no more deficiencies, (but, oh, when will that be?) Then the supply will cease, but not until then.
How gloriously God gives to His people! Before we needed forgiveness: He washed us, and made us whiter than snow. We needed clothes, as we were naked. What did he do? Did he give us a rough dress of some kind or another? Oh no, but he said, "Get out the best dress, and put him on." It was fortunate that the prodigal son had his clothes in tatters, for then he needed clothes, and the best dress was brought out for him. It is a great thing to be aware of spiritual needs, for they will all be met. A conscious need in the eyes of God, what is it but a prevailing request for a new mercy? Sometimes we have asked him to comfort us, as we were very dejected; but when the Lord has comforted us, He has filled us with such delight that we have been inclined to cry out with the ancient Scottish theologian: “Wait, Lord, wait! It's enough. I can't take any more bliss. Remember that I am just a clay pot. " We, in relieving the poor, generally do not give more than we can avoid, but our God does not stop to count His favors, but gives as king. Pour water on the thirsty, and streams of water on the dry land.
Source: http://www.spurgeongems.org/schs3231.pdf
A New Years Wish (Sermon # 3231 posted January 5, 1911)
The same will happen with what they need. You were scared of being too lacking right now, weren't you? But now please be so kind as to think that you do, for it is only a matter of several empty vessels to be filled. If the woman had only borrowed a few vessels, she would not have been able to receive much oil; but the more empty vessels he had, the more oil he got. So the more lacks and the more needs you have, if you bring them before God, it will be much better, because He will fill them to the brim, and you can be thankful that there is so much space to fill. When you have no more deficiencies, (but, oh, when will that be?) Then the supply will cease, but not until then.
How gloriously God gives to His people! Before we needed forgiveness: He washed us, and made us whiter than snow. We needed clothes, as we were naked. What did he do? Did he give us a rough dress of some kind or another? Oh no, but he said, "Get out the best dress, and put him on." It was fortunate that the prodigal son had his clothes in tatters, for then he needed clothes, and the best dress was brought out for him. It is a great thing to be aware of spiritual needs, for they will all be met. A conscious need in the eyes of God, what is it but a prevailing request for a new mercy? Sometimes we have asked him to comfort us, as we were very dejected; but when the Lord has comforted us, He has filled us with such delight that we have been inclined to cry out with the ancient Scottish theologian: “Wait, Lord, wait! It's enough. I can't take any more bliss. Remember that I am just a clay pot. " We, in relieving the poor, generally do not give more than we can avoid, but our God does not stop to count His favors, but gives as king. Pour water on the thirsty, and streams of water on the dry land.
Source: http://www.spurgeongems.org/schs3231.pdf
A New Years Wish (Sermon # 3231 posted January 5, 1911)
