We have all received

John testified about Him and cried out, This was He of Whom I said, He Who comes after me has priority over me, for He was before me. [He takes rank above me, for He existed before I did. He has advanced before me, because He is my Chief]. 

For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favour upon favour and gift [heaped] upon gift.

For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favour and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:15-17 AMP

I don't know about you, but for me there are some days when the experience of God's unearned, undeserved favour and spiritual blessing are so very tangible. These are the days that we get a little bit more revelation of the truth that we are nothing without Him and we can do nothing apart from Him.

I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with me] you can do nothing. John 15:5 AMP

On those days that sense of a vital union becomes more and more real. The sense that without taking the time to read God's word, listen and obey what He says, we are just flailing around in our own little world. We are out of step with what His plans are for that minute, hour or day. We need to stop, breathe and acknowledge that He takes rank above us, for He existed before we did. He has advanced before us, because He is our Chief.

The Message Bible puts Luke 1:16-17 this way

We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift. We got the basics from Moses, and then this exuberant giving and receiving, this endless knowing and understanding - all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.

Luke 1:16-17 The Message

Questions for today, are you living out of the vital union with Jesus? Are you living off His generous bounty? Let's take some time today to seek Him, like we have never sought Jesus before, with a greater desire for deeper intimacy and understanding.

What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Matthew 6:31-33 The Message