By Dianna Hobbs // Empowerment // EEW Magazine Online

My husband Kenya and I enjoy strolling down memory lane together, reminiscing about our early days of marriage. Recently, we were discussing a season of lack in our lives back in 1998. I was pregnant with our first baby – our daughter, Kyla – and craving pizza. The problem was, we were broke.

I mean, broke-broke.

We were struggling so bad that we were down to our last few bucks and a good way away from payday, too. Ever been there? Though I knew that spending our last on takeout wasn’t wise, wisdom and intense pregnancy cravings somehow don’t go well together. Can I get a witness on that?

What baby wants – wise or not – baby gets. And baby got that personal pie from Pizza Hut that day, hear me? And boy did this expectant mom ever devour that pizza like it was my last supper! It was so good; it blessed my spirit, saints.

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But before I could finish the last bite, nausea smacked me, and I found myself kneeling before the “porcelain throne” watching my delicious meal that I could not afford go down the toilet.

Man. What a waste. Soon after, I was hungry again. Oh, the joys of pregnancy.

Though Kenya and I struggled for a long time and have endured many tough seasons together, we have always trusted the Lord to provide. And He never failed us. Even in wilderness seasons, by His power, repeatedly, He has exceeded our expectations.

And I just believe that He has sent me to tell somebody reading this devotion today, keep on trusting the Lord. Whatever your needs are –whether they be financial or something else – He will exceed your expectations right in the middle of your wilderness.

That’s what Jesus did in Mark 8:1-8. A crowd of at least 4,000 was following Jesus for three days and ran out of food. Some of them had traveled a great distance to see Jesus and would not be strong enough to make it back home without nourishment.

In acknowledgment of their plight, Jesus said, “I feel sorry for these people” (v. 2). Friend, isn’t it good to know that the Savior takes notice of your predicament and has compassion in your time of need?

Well, when Jesus spoke to His disciples about wanting to feed the multitude before sending them off on their journey, I love the question the disciples asked. They said in verse 4, “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?”

See how the disciples were focused on where they were – the wilderness – instead of who they were – chosen people with access to the miracle-worker? Sometimes we are guilty of behaving like the disciples. We, too, think about the fact that we are in a wilderness season. And we allow this fact to discourage us instead of calling to mind God’s promises in His word to “make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).

After the disciples expressed their confusion over this conundrum, Jesus asked them how much bread they had, and they replied, “Seven loaves.” Now, we know that seven is God’s number of perfection and completion. That means, He was about to do something!

Miraculously, the Messiah took those seven loaves – and a few fish the disciples managed to find – and multiplied them. Scripture says that everybody ate as much as they wanted. And when they were done, the disciples collected seven big old basketfuls of leftovers (v. 8).

Oh, my. What you say! Won’t God do it every time?

I know the concept of surplus, which implies having more than is needed, isn’t what comes to mind when we think about being in a wilderness season. But God, whose ways are higher than ours, loves to do the implausible and specializes in doing the impossible.

That’s why He has allowed your wilderness: to teach you that it is not your circumstances that dictate the outcome, but God, who is in control of all things, has the final say. And He says on this day that He is going to water your dry places, give you overflow in lean times, and command a surplus in the wilderness.

Whatever wilderness you are standing in right now, the anointing of God is flowing to that place and giving you more than what you need.

By faith, I speak over you now: Overflow is coming to you. An overflow of blessings. Healing. Favor. Increase. Breakthrough. I see in the spirit a rushing stream breaking through a dam, and God is saying, “This is how blessings will overtake you and your household.”

Receive that.

The Lord also instructed me to stir Ephesians 3:20 KJV into your cup of inspiration: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

As you drink down the contents of your cup, prepare for exceeding, abundantly, above blessings. Oh, yes. They’re on the way. You can go ahead and proclaim that every need is met. Every way is made. Every dry place is watered. And every circumstance where there is lack, God is sending abundance.

Now, let’s pray.

God, I thank You for the overflow that is coming to me. I believe Your word and declare by faith that I shall have more than I need – even in the wilderness – because You have commanded surplus to manifest in my life. Thank You for the increase in advance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dianna Hobbs is founder of EEW Magazine Online.