“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
God’s word contains many promises to us. He promises us eternal life through belief in His Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Another promise is He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). One of the most often over-looked promises is found in John 10:10 where Jesus says “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Some translations say “abundant life.” If you are a Christ-follower, you believe you have eternal life through Christ. But do you believe that you have abundant life now?
Jesus promises us abundant living while we’re here on this earth. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven! How great is that?! But do we really believe that? You may be asking, so what does abundant living look like? No, it’s not the abundance of material things. Neither is abundant living life without problems or difficulties. Rather, abundant living involves walking closely with Jesus. The Lord desires more than anything to have a deep, close relationship with us. We each have a purpose in life designed by God (Jeremiah 29:11.) He weaves into our lives all our experiences, our talents, and who we are, for His higher purposes. Think of abundant living as a tool box filled to overflowing with the tools you need right now to navigate your life, through all the ups and downs, the hills and valleys. Those tools include God’s promises in the Bible and other truths that you can apply to your life. Walking the whole journey with you is God who is by your side filling you with the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23.)
You see, God really does promise us a rose garden. But the problem is we expect that garden to be thorn-free. When we’re scratched by the thorns, too often we lash out at God and blame Him. We run from Him. How do we live in the rose garden and deal with those prickly thorns? When the thorns tear our souls causing us pain, do we run to God Our Healer or do we retreat to our own make-shift bandages? It’s up to us. We have a choice.
C.S. Lewis once said, “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Surrounded by jagged thorns, do we hear God shouting His love and mercy to us? Are we listening? Do we feel His loving presence with us? Or do we only see the thorns and ignore the beautiful roses?
Life is painful. For those of us who have experienced loss, our souls ache. We long for an easier road to travel, a rose garden without thorns. Psalm 145:17 says “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.”* God leads us down the road that will most fulfill His purposes for our life. The thorns along the trail are teachable moments for us, chances to draw closer to God and opportunities to see His power manifested in us. Those painful “thorn-filled” moments are the way God shouts His love to us. He cares for us through both the thorns and the roses of our life journey. Listen to Him shouting His love and care to you amidst the thorns in your life. He loves you so.
Heavenly Father, I claim today Your promise for an abundant life. Teach me Your ways and purposes through the thorns in my life. Fill me with the sweet fragrance of Your Rose – Your love, peace, and hope. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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Copyright © 2015 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
* Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
C.S. Lewis quote from The Problem of Pain. Copyright © 1962 by MacMillan Publishing Company, Inc. New York
God’s word contains many promises to us. He promises us eternal life through belief in His Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Another promise is He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). One of the most often over-looked promises is found in John 10:10 where Jesus says “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Some translations say “abundant life.” If you are a Christ-follower, you believe you have eternal life through Christ. But do you believe that you have abundant life now?
Jesus promises us abundant living while we’re here on this earth. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven! How great is that?! But do we really believe that? You may be asking, so what does abundant living look like? No, it’s not the abundance of material things. Neither is abundant living life without problems or difficulties. Rather, abundant living involves walking closely with Jesus. The Lord desires more than anything to have a deep, close relationship with us. We each have a purpose in life designed by God (Jeremiah 29:11.) He weaves into our lives all our experiences, our talents, and who we are, for His higher purposes. Think of abundant living as a tool box filled to overflowing with the tools you need right now to navigate your life, through all the ups and downs, the hills and valleys. Those tools include God’s promises in the Bible and other truths that you can apply to your life. Walking the whole journey with you is God who is by your side filling you with the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23.)
You see, God really does promise us a rose garden. But the problem is we expect that garden to be thorn-free. When we’re scratched by the thorns, too often we lash out at God and blame Him. We run from Him. How do we live in the rose garden and deal with those prickly thorns? When the thorns tear our souls causing us pain, do we run to God Our Healer or do we retreat to our own make-shift bandages? It’s up to us. We have a choice.
C.S. Lewis once said, “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Surrounded by jagged thorns, do we hear God shouting His love and mercy to us? Are we listening? Do we feel His loving presence with us? Or do we only see the thorns and ignore the beautiful roses?
Life is painful. For those of us who have experienced loss, our souls ache. We long for an easier road to travel, a rose garden without thorns. Psalm 145:17 says “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.”* God leads us down the road that will most fulfill His purposes for our life. The thorns along the trail are teachable moments for us, chances to draw closer to God and opportunities to see His power manifested in us. Those painful “thorn-filled” moments are the way God shouts His love to us. He cares for us through both the thorns and the roses of our life journey. Listen to Him shouting His love and care to you amidst the thorns in your life. He loves you so.
Heavenly Father, I claim today Your promise for an abundant life. Teach me Your ways and purposes through the thorns in my life. Fill me with the sweet fragrance of Your Rose – Your love, peace, and hope. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Want to subscribe to future blog posts? Click here.
Copyright © 2015 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
* Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
C.S. Lewis quote from The Problem of Pain. Copyright © 1962 by MacMillan Publishing Company, Inc. New York
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