He Is Not a Just-Enough Jesus — He Is a Run-Over God

The Lord is my shepherd — I shall not want. Not "I shall not need." Want.

There is a difference. And most people have been handed a God who meets needs but ignores wants. A God who keeps you alive but doesn't particularly care whether you enjoy the journey. A protein bar God — it'll keep you going, but don't expect it to taste like anything.

I want to keep building the case for who He really is. Because remember — the way you see Jesus is the way you'll receive from Jesus. And I'm going to give you more than two or three witnesses on this. Scripture after Scripture. Let the Word persuade you.

The Lord is your shepherd — and He said you shall not want.

Most people know Psalm 23. Most people have heard it at funerals. And I still don't understand why, because this psalm has nothing to do with death and everything to do with right now.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul... You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

Psalm 23:1–6 (NKJV)

Notice what it does not say. It does not say "I shall not need." It says I shall not want. He's not promising to keep you at the minimum. He's promising to satisfy you so completely that you stop wanting — because you have more than enough.

And then — your cup runs over. He doesn't stop when it's full. He keeps pouring. Why? Because He's in love and He's excessive. That's just who He is.

And even if you get knocked down — goodness and mercy are not behind you waiting. They are pursuing you. The Word literally means they are chasing you down. You can only go back so far before you run right into goodness and mercy coming the other direction. They will pick you up and propel you forward. Say it out loud: goodness and mercy are mine. They are hot on my heels.

Jesus doesn't go fishing — He goes catching.

We've looked at Luke 5 before, but I want you to see it again — because when you truly get this, we can move on. Peter lends Jesus his boat. Jesus uses it. When He's done, He tells Peter to go back out and let down the nets.

Note: He said nets. Peter let down one. And it still broke under the weight of what came up. They had to call their partners to bring another boat. And both boats filled to the point of sinking.

These men had worked all night and caught nothing. They would have been grateful for enough to cover the day. That is not what they got.

And here's something religion has added to this story that isn't in the text: the idea that Jesus loaded Peter's boat because Peter had a massive debt. That God only gives you a massive harvest when you have a massive need. That's not in Scripture. Peter sowed one boat and got two boatloads of fish. It was excessive. That is the whole point.

His blessing didn't stop at Peter either. It overflowed into his partner's boat. When you let God do what He wants to do in your life, your overflow becomes someone else's blessing. That is who He is.

Nobody asked Him to feed them — and He fed 4,000 anyway.

Mark 8. A crowd of 4,000 people have been with Jesus for three days. Nobody has asked Him for food. Nobody has presented a need. And watch what He does:

"I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar."

Mark 8:2–3 (NKJV)

He volunteers. Nobody asked. He saw a need, felt compassion, and moved — all on His own.

He took seven loaves and a few small fish. And the result?

So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.

Mark 8:8 (NKJV)

4,000 people ate until they were filled. Not until they had enough to survive — until they were filled. They went back for seconds. As many times as they wanted. And when everyone was full, there were seven large baskets left over.

And these baskets — the Greek word used here is the same kind of basket used to lower Paul over a wall to escape. Big enough to hold a man. Seven of those. Full. After everyone had already eaten everything they wanted.

That is not a just-enough God. That is a run-over God.

They pursued spiritual things — and received natural things they never asked for.

Here's something I don't want you to miss in this story. Did anyone in that crowd ask Jesus for food? No. They had come to hear the Word. They put the Word first — three days' worth — and Jesus took care of everything else.

They didn't fast on purpose. They were just so hungry for the Word that they forgot to bring food, forgot to go home, forgot to think about lunch. And Jesus noticed. And He fed them so completely that there were seven large baskets of food left after 4,000 people were full.

When you put the Word first, Jesus takes care of what you forgot to ask for. That is the character of this God who is in love with you.

Give — and it will be given back to you running over.

Luke 6:38:

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

Luke 6:38 (NKJV)

Look at the progression. Good measure — He starts with what you gave. Pressed down — He packs it tight, gets every empty space filled. Shaken together — He shakes out all the air pockets. And then? Running over. He is not satisfied until it goes past the rim.

He uses your measure as His measuring cup. Whatever you sowed, He takes that same measure — and presses it, shakes it, and keeps pouring until it runs over into your life.

He is not in the just-enough business. He is in the run-over business. And I'm not adding to the Scripture — I'm just reading it.

When are you going to let Him run over in your life?

Here's where I want to leave you today. Every one of these Scriptures — the trees made beautiful for you, the cup that runs over, the two boats that started to sink, the 4,000 fed and seven baskets left, the promise of good measure pressed down and running over — they all point to the same God.

A God who is not trying to give you the minimum. A God who is not handing out protein bars. A God who, when He decides to bless you, blesses you until it runs over into other people's lives.

If you don't see Him this way yet — that's okay. Paul said he had to be persuaded. It took sustained effort. Go back over these Scriptures. Sit in them. Let them change the picture you have of Jesus.

And don't just get excited and move on. The Word warns about receiving with gladness and enduring only for a time. Go back. Read it again. Let it get deep enough that when life puts pressure on you, your first thought is: my God is a run-over God — and He's in love with me.

That's who He is. Now let Him prove it in your life.

Stop settling for a just-enough picture of a run-over God. Let the Word persuade you. See Him as He really is.

He is not going to give you a protein bar. He is going to fill your plate, fill your cup, fill your boat, and then keep pouring.

Fight To Win.