Economics is often called “the dismal science” because it tries to understand how best to manage finite and scarce resources. So, in our world governed by scarcity, we are trained to measure, hoard, and ration. We operate under the constant anxiety that there is never quite enough time, money, energy, or affection to go around. Our human systems are built to manage these limitations as best we can. Much church work is focussed on providing relief for those how find themselves with too much month at the end of their money!
However, the kingdom of God operates on an entirely different economic principle: superabundance. When the writers of Scripture are attempting to describe the grace, favor, and love of God toward believers, they consistently run out of ordinary vocabulary. They are forced to use grand, expansive metaphors of flooding rivers, uncontainable cups, and inexhaustible storehouses.
This is because God’s favor is never measured out in precise, calculated drops; it is an ocean that routinely breaches its banks. From the tabernacle of the Old Testament to the letters of the New Testament, the Bible reveals a God whose default setting is to give "infinitely more."
This theme of divine superabundance begins deep in the Old Testament, where God repeatedly reveals Himself as a lavish provider rather than a stingy supervisor. This is perhaps most famously captured in the quiet, intimate poetry of the shepherd king. In Psalm 23:5 (NLT), David writes: "You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings."
When we understand ancient Near Eastern hospitality David’s imagery takes on even more significance. A host would fill a guest’s cup to the brim as a sign of welcome. But to intentionally let the cup “run over”—to allow the wine to spill onto the table—was a deliberate declaration. It said to the guest: “You are not a burden. My resources are not strained by your presence. You are loved without limit.”
And this theme of over-the-top favor is evident throughout Israel's history. When God instructs the prophet Malachi to challenge a spiritually drifting nation to trust Him, He uses the imagery of uncontainable space. In Malachi 3:10 (NLT), God challenges the people: "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in!" Here, the divine promise directly confronts human logic. We expect a matched transaction—a fair return. Instead, God promises a deluge of favor so massive that our earthly "storehouses" will literally fracture under the weight of His goodness.
While the Old Testament speaks of overflowing cups and open windows, the New Testament reveals the source of this superabundance is the person of Jesus. Through Christ, the theoretical concept of God’s favor becomes a living, historical reality. Paul, writing to the church in Ephesus, grapples with the sheer scale of what believers have inherited. In Ephesians 1:7–8 (NLT), he writes: "He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding." Notice the verb choice. Paul does not say God "administered" or "allocated" His kindness. He says God “showered” it. The Greek word translated as “showered” is usually used to mean a sudden, torrential downpour. It is an avalanche of favor that completely covers the believer, washing away past failures and drowning out insecurity.
Furthermore, this grace is not a historical relic reserved only for the moment of salvation. It is a daily, dynamic fuel. Paul returns to this truth later in the same letter, concluding a profound prayer with a declaration of God’s limitless capability: "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." (Ephesians 3:20, NLT)
Our highest prayers, our wildest dreams, and our most ambitious thoughts represent the ceiling of our imagination. Paul assures us that God’s actual capacity starts “above” that ceiling. The phrasing "infinitely more" (sometimes translated as "exceedingly abundantly") implies a surplus that just beggars description.
For the believer, recognizing this superabundance changes everything. It shifts our posture from spiritual orphans begging for crumbs to sons and daughters resting in an inheritance.
God's favor is not a finite pie where a blessing given to another means less for us. His grace is an inexhaustible supply—the more it is drawn upon, the more freely it flows.
God does not fill our cups just so we can sit comfortably in our own satisfaction. The purpose of the overflow is impact. When our cups run over, the excess naturally spills onto the people around us—our families, our communities, and a thirsty world. We become conduits of the very same unmeasured, uncalculated grace that rescued us. In the economy of God, we are blessed to overflowing so that we can be an uncontainable blessing to others.
Blessings on you and yours, Jim Black
P.S. if you’d like to read previous ruminations of mine they can be found at https://blog.salvationarmyconcordca.org