Overflow – Let it Flow

Week 1: Overflowing with His Presence

During this study, we will be doing a ‘deep dive’ into a scriptural passage. It is strongly encouraged that you study the passage and entire chapter ahead of the study. Also be prepared with your research tools, for example Google or your study Bible, as you will need to reference it during the study. Spend time answering and discussing each question with the intention to gain sufficient understanding to help your own private Bible study as you further explore these topics.

Study Chapters:Psalms 1, 8, 16, 19, 23, 27, 34, 42, 46, 63, 84, 91, 95, 100, 103 and 121

Pilot text

Psalm 23:1–6
“1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

John 7:37–39
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive.”

Introduction:

Welcome to August, our month of Overflow!
There is something powerful about the picture David gives us in Psalm 23. The Shepherd leads him to still waters, restores his soul and guides him along the right path. Even when the valley comes, the Shepherd remains beside him. Then, suddenly, the picture changes. David is no longer simply being sustained, but instead his cup is running over. That is our invitation this month.
Overflow begins with being filled. The world constantly tells us to chase more: achievement, recognition, security, possessions, even experiences. But the Psalms take us somewhere deeper. They show us people who discover that their greatest need is not simply something God can give them, but God Himself.
Psalm 16 calls Him our inheritance. Psalm 42 describes a soul thirsting for Him. Psalm 63 speaks of a deep longing for His presence. Psalm 84 declares that one day in His courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. Psalm 103 calls us to remember His goodness and not forget His benefits. This is the secret of overflow, that what fills us determines what flows from us.
When our hearts are filled with fear, fear spills over. When they are filled with resentment, resentment spills over. But when we become rooted in God’s presence, saturated in His Word and secure in His love, something different begins to happen. His peace, grace, wisdom, mercy and joy begin to find expression through us. And this is where the Psalms point us towards Jesus. Jesus does not simply offer us a better life. He offers Himself as the source of life. He says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” And from those who come to Him, He promises rivers of living water.
So come thirsty. Come expectant. Come ready for God to fill the places that have become dry, distracted or depleted. Your mission is not merely to leave this study feeling refreshed.
The mission: become so full of God that your life begins to overflow.

Discussion Point

• Where do we see Christ? Psalm 23 presents the Lord as the Shepherd who provides, leads, restores, protects and remains present with His people. Jesus identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep, lays down His life for them and gives them eternal life (John 10:11–15, 27–28). Further Study: John 10:11–15, John 10:27–30, Hebrews 13:20–21, 1 Peter 2:25
• Where do we see salvation? Where do we see salvation foreshadowed? The Psalms repeatedly describe God as refuge, rock, redeemer, shepherd and source of life. Psalm 23 particularly portrays a God who restores the soul, leads His people in righteousness and brings them safely into His presence. How do these pictures foreshadow the salvation Jesus provides, in which we are rescued, restored, made righteous and brought into relationship with God?
  Further Study: John 10:27-28, Ephesians 2:4-10, Titus 3:4-7, 1 Peter 2:9-10
• Where do we see ourselves? Where do we see ourselves in this story? A person can be surrounded by God’s blessings and still live from a place of spiritual thirst, constantly looking elsewhere for security, significance or satisfaction. What do the Psalms reveal about recognising God Himself as our source, and how might this change the way we approach our relationships, work, decisions and everyday pressures?

Closing thoughts:

The Psalms give us a powerful picture of the life that God desires to cultivate in us. Psalm 23 begins with a Shepherd who provides and ends with a cup that runs over. Between the two are green pastures, still waters, restoration, righteous paths, valleys, enemies and God’s presence. The overflow is not dependent upon perfect circumstances. It comes from knowing that the Shepherd is with us through all of them.
This points directly to Christ. Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep and lays down His life for them (John 10:11–15). He is not simply the One who gives us provision, protection and direction. He gives us Himself. He is the Living Water who satisfies our deepest thirst (John 7:37–39), and through the Holy Spirit, His life begins to flow through those who believe.
This is also the heart of salvation. God does not merely rescue us from something; He brings us into something. We are brought out of darkness and into His kingdom, restored into relationship with Him and given a new identity as His people (1 Peter 2:9–10). The Shepherd restores our souls and leads us into paths of righteousness, not because we have earned our way there, but because His grace has made a way.
Where are we in this story? We may be trying to draw satisfaction from achievement, relationships, recognition, financial security or control. Yet these things can never fill what only God can fill. Psalm 42 confesses, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.” The question is not simply whether we are thirsty, but what we are drinking from.
When God becomes our source, something begins to change. His peace can flow into anxious situations. His mercy can flow into difficult relationships. His wisdom can flow into decisions. His generosity can flow through our resources. His presence can flow through our words and actions.

Here is an invitation for you:
This week, come to God honestly.
Bring Him the places where you feel depleted. Bring the questions, the distractions, the ambitions and the desires that have competed for your attention.
Then come to Jesus and drink.
Don’t simply ask God to give you more. Ask Him to make you more aware of what you already have in Him.
Let His presence fill you again.
And then allow what He pours into you to flow outward.
Your cup is not filled merely for you to hold it. It is filled so that it can overflow.

Application Questions (use scriptures to support your position):

• A high-performing professional has achieved the promotion she wanted but still feels restless and dissatisfied. She immediately sets another career target rather than pausing to consider why success has not brought the fulfilment she expected. How might Psalm 23 and Psalm 16 challenge her understanding of what truly satisfies?
• A father is carrying significant pressure at home and work and has become increasingly impatient with his family. He is spending little time with God because he feels he has too much to do. What does the picture of the Shepherd leading beside still waters suggest about the relationship between being filled by God and what flows into our relationships?
• A brother regularly serves others at church and at work but has become spiritually exhausted and increasingly resentful. He continues giving while rarely creating space to receive from God. How might Psalm 63 and John 7:37–39 reshape his understanding of sustainable service and spiritual overflow?