Tag Archives: smooth circumstances

Nothing Else Needed, Peace that passess understanding

(In the Moments) Experiencing Completeness in Christ

January 12, 2025 robuck4@aol.com 2 Comments

I’m feeling undone. I’m overwhelmed. The pains and cares of life seek to pull me under. Heart ache, people I love hurting, brokenness surrounds me. I feel detached from my Prince of Peace, my Life, my Glory, my Hope, my Source of Joy, the Lifter of my Head.

It’s close to midnight, but I decide to take a prayer walk. In times like this, I turn to prayer walks and getaways as my way of pulling back from everything to be alone with God.

I don’t always remember to surrender my troubles to God. Far too often I forget that apart from Him I can do nothing. [1] I forge ahead in my strength, striving to fix my life, leaving carnage all around. Relying on me instead of God is always a bad choice.

Leaving my driveway, I turn left, ascending towards Highway 6. I pry my grubby fingers off of each angst and deliver them one by one to my Father. I think of Peter’s words when he tells us to cast our anxiety upon God because He cares for us. [2]

Sometimes I can forget God is trustworthy. He has my best interest in mind. With my words, I release every care to my Good Father. Turning my palms upward, I peer into the cloudless, starry night.

I cross the highway and enter a dead-end road, which completes my walk out.

I hear a sound. Four deer, who were grazing in an open field, scamper away. God’s creation is all around. A small, wooded cul-de-sac boomerangs me back toward home.

As much as it’s in my ability to do so, I’ve surrendered all my burdens. As I cross the highway again, I sense peace. The problems seem overshadowed by the Lord’s nearness.

I ponder the marvels of being God’s son. A verse comes to mind.

Complete in Christ

For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete [filled to the brim, fully accomplished, perfect], and He is the head over all rule and authority; (Colossians 2:9-10).

In the verse, Paul says I’m complete in Christ. In Him, I’m rendered perfect in every conceivable way. I’m filled to the brim and overflowing with Christ, needing nothing.

The imagery is stunning.

As I descend the hill toward home, I marvel at the ramifications of this truth. If He’s filled me, what else do I really need? Do I need people to respect me and honor me? Do I need earthly security? Do I need smooth circumstances? As I ask, I know the answer.

If I’m filled to overflowing with Jesus, which I am, only one concern remains: loving others as He’s loved me. All the pressure’s off. Jesus lives in me. As I yield, as I abide, He loves through me. This is my only concern. He’s taken off my plate the need to always be looking after me.

As John the Baptist said, “I must decrease, and He must increase.” (John 3:30)

Walking it Out

I know this is not the end of my journey with tough feelings. If God blesses me with more days, I’ll face more physical and emotional pain. People I love will lose jobs, suffer illnesses, and face broken relationships. I’ll continue to experience my own trials.

Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 6:33 NIV)

Jesus has overcome the world. I’m in union with Him. He’s in me and I’m in Him. In Christ, I’m forgiven, loved, accomplished, righteous, valued. I’m complete in every way.

Walking out from here involves remembering Christ’s nearness and completeness, no matter what I face and no matter how I feel.

Challenge

What do you need to surrender unto the Lord’s care this moment? In what areas do you feel lacking?

Call out to Christ and ask Him to give you an awareness of your completeness in Him. Walk in it. Experience the freedom of being filled to the brim with Him.

Rest in Christ and His undying lovingkindness toward you. He is your all.

Take a prayer walk.

Prayer

Lord, what an amazing realization. Releasing my cares to You, I’m aware of Your nearness and my completeness in You. Please help me not to take back those angsts I’ve delivered to You. My completeness comes from You.

Empower me to worship You, Rest in You, depend upon You and love like You.

Amen.

[1] John 15:5

[2] I Peter 4:7

Photo generated by AI

Other posts in our series In the Moments:

Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing

Exploring Grace and Joy together

Stay Present My Friends

Quiddity. It Could Change Your Life

The Cake Maker’s Blunder

God at Work (No Trespassing)

Hidden with Christ in God

Finding Joy in Love and Relationships

Escaping the Rat Race

When I don’t Feel God’s Loving Kindness

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.

Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

Because joy is rooted in God and is eternal, it doesn’t ebb and flow with the waves of circumstances. In fact, as we grow in our understanding of joy, we can even experience it more acutely when life is hard. Why? Because God uses trials to conform us into the image of Christ. With this awareness, which gives us glimpses of God’s greater purposes, we rejoice because of His masterful work to free us from needing anything but Him.

For these reasons, and many others, joy in the Lord is commanded in scripture. It’s not just a good idea, it’s vital to our journey as human beings. Rhythms of Joy

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in an old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

True Abundance

(In the Moments) Escaping the Rat Race

December 23, 2024 robuck4@aol.com Leave a comment

It’s Saturday morning in South Carolina. Though it’s before 10 am, it’s already hot and I have a fan whirling. I sip my coffee and watch the birds visit the three bird feeders we’ve placed beyond the reach (at least for now) of resourceful squirrels.

This morning, I read John 10:10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

I pause at the promise of abundant life. Abundant Life. What does it mean?

Our country equates the term with lots of possessions. Yet does stuff produce an abundant life?

The wealthiest 1% possess half the world’s resources. Can these 1% say their possessions have given them abundant life? Sad stories throughout history answer no. Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Howard Hughes and Earnest Hemingway are just a few who lived in abundance of possessions, yet their lives ended, not reflecting the abundant life Jesus is referring to.

In fact, perhaps abundant possessions inhibit abundant life. Maintaining many things drains much time and energy, leaving little margin for true abundance.

By implication, abundance could also be associated with success, good health and overall good circumstanced. There’s nothing wrong with desiring all these things. However, living a life like this, even if possible, is not what Jesus is talking about.

Possessions or circumstances do not define the abundant life Jesus refers to. His life is more satisfying and stable than either.

Lima Peru

Years ago, during a two-week mission trip to Lima, Peru, the living conditions I saw saddened me. Poverty forced mothers to do the unthinkable, releasing their young sons to fend for themselves on the streets.

Our group served at Casa Hogar, an orphanage designed to feed and educate these “street boys”. Many abandoned children in Lima were already deeply involved in glue sniffing, stealing, and prostitution. Refusing the orphanage’s long-term help, many remained chained to this life. However, the orphanage gave some children a home and showed them the love of Jesus.

Despite Lima’s hardship, its believers showed a quality of love rare in America. The folks who worked at Casa Hogar seemed to be free from pursuing possessions and smooth circumstances. While many toilets still lacked seats, people were more focused on love than on tasks.

We all experienced such a depth of the love of Jesus during our two weeks in Peru that many of us dreaded to return to the “rat race” of the American culture.

We had the audacity to think we were traveling to South America to “minster” the love of Jesus to folks in dire straits. But the love of Jesus flowing through the Peruvians, even the children, deeply touched us.

As I take another sip of coffee, and notice a squirrel repelling down a wire to once again help itself to our bird seed, I write the following words in my journal:

Abundant life is not abundant possessions or smooth circumstances. Abundant life is Abundant love.

The Bible is rich in language depicting God’s love, but nothing surpasses the abundant love Jesus displayed for each of us on the cross.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). (Ephesians 2:4-5)

As I watch the squirrel wrapped around the feeder, spilling seed everywhere, I conclude that the abundant life Jesus promises us has everything to do with His love.

How does God’s abundant love lead to an abundant daily life for us?

I believe the answer is in John 15.

In verse 9, we get a such an astounding definition of abundant love that only the Spirit of God can fully reveal it to our hearts. Jesus tells us, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you.”

I pause for a moment. Jesus loves me as much as God the Father loves Him. This is stunning! If this truth had full access to our hearts, it would penetrate every hardened sinew and blow away every argument of self-hatred. Jesus loves us beyond comprehension, and He showed it by dying in our place on the cross.

The second part of John 15:9 is a command:

“Remain in my love.”

Remain where God has placed us, in the love of Jesus. We did not earn this love; we must remain where God has placed us.

Verses 10 and 12 tell us how.

If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love. (10)

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. (12)

Staying in Jesus’ love involves loving like Him. This is what we experienced in Peru; folks being freed up from chasing possessions and smooth circumstances to love like Jesus despite their poverty and difficulties.

Picture daily life free from the “rat race” grind.

This is an abundant life. Allowing the abundant love of Jesus to flow through us. “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water” John 7:38.

Abundant life is a life of loving. It’s also a life of joy.

Couched in between verses 10 and 12 in John 15 is the following verse:

“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” (John 15:11)

Abundant life is abundant love and abundant joy.

Challenge

Turn for a moment to your internal task list, that never ending list which seems to multiply as possessions increase. Visualize what possessions and responsibilities require more focus and attention than they’re worth, especially how they impede true living.

This challenge is for me. Too often I avoid loving the folks God brings my way because I have stuff to accomplish and possessions to maintain.

The rat race is a hamster wheel.

Prayer

Help me, Lord! You’ve blessed me beyond measure. I’ve been fortunate to never worry about my next meal, a stark contrast to global realities. You chose me as Your child before creation, showering me with Your grace, forgiving all my sins, and giving me Your Holy Spirit as a guarantee of my eternal inheritance in Your Kingdom.

In You, I have true abundant life, rivers of living water from the source of all.

Yet, I often get caught up in a ridiculous race for worldly trappings, which are both fragile and unfulfilling.

You have already won the race for me. Please grant me the grace to always rest in Your love and love those You bring my way. In your presence is fullness of joy and in Your light, I have life.

I love You,

Amen

Other posts in our series In the Moments:

Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing

Exploring Grace and Joy together

Stay Present My Friends

Quiddity. It Could Change Your Life

The Cake Maker’s Blunder

God at Work (No Trespassing)

Hidden with Christ in God

Finding Joy in Love and Relationships

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.

Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

For these reasons, and many others, joy in the Lord is commanded in scripture. It’s not just a good idea, it’s vital to our journey as human beings. Rhythms of Joy

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in an old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Please Check out the Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

Eternal Perspective, God's Greater Purposes, Love First Mentality

Momma Said There’d Be Days Like This

January 19, 2023 robuck4@aol.com 2 Comments

You’re running late for work. You stayed up late and overslept. As you gather your info for the presentation you’re in charge of, you plop a sausage biscuit in the microwave and pry on your dress shoes. The oven sounds and you retrieve your breakfast. As you grab your lunch from the fridge, you spot the mustard and add a dab to your biscuit.

As you back out of the driveway, you calculate that, barring bad traffic, you’ll arrive just in time for the start of the meeting. You can feel the pressure mount as you pull to a stop at the first red light, the one that seems to take forever. As you wait, you take a sip of coffee and think of the countless hours you put into this presentation for your companies’ top client.

“We have good reasons for them to stay with us,” your boss had said. “You just have to clearly show them why.”

As you near the ramp to the highway, you hear a train whistle. Tension mounts. “Please Lord!” you pray.

No deal. The crossing arm comes down two cars a ahead of you. You’re stuck, boxed in, with no way to take an alternate route. The train cars just keep on coming. You sip your coffee and pick up the biscuit from the paper plate.

As you take a bite, you get lost in the savory, crunchy delight. But then, as if in slow motion, you watch a large mustard drop escape from the back end of the biscuit as you take your second bite. Yellowness plops and spreads quickly down your blue dress shirt. You look around. No napkins.

Your boss glares you down as you burst into the conference room, fifteen minutes late. A junior colleague stands up from the presentation desk and gives you a questioning look. Soon after you sit down, you realize why. In your late night weariness, you forgot to upload the presentation from your home computer to the companies’ shared folder.

In stunned disbelief and growing panic, the words of a song flash in your mind:

Mamma said there’ll be days like thisThere’ll be days like this, mamma said. [1]

Perhaps you’ve had days which feel this unnerving. I know I have. What steps do we take to recover?

Recovery Mode

Being an IT professional, I’ve been trained to think recovery. We make plans for restoring the data when programs end abnormally?

That’s IT, but how do we recover from life’s unexpected happenings?

I suggest there’s two phases – circumstantial recovery (dealing with the problems at hand) and inside recovery (dealing with the affects on our mind and emotions).

Circumstantially, in the above scenario, perhaps an honest disclosure of your disastrous morning would add some sympathetic humor to the growing tension. Then you could give your presentation from the heart without the Power Point slides.

This might work, but what about the damage to your insides? What are ways you can tend to your heart when your outsides are falling apart?

Soul Recovery

What’s the plan?

As believers in Jesus Christ, we need to be reminded of God’s overall plan. Though we’d like to be, we’re not in control. God is and His plan doesn’t include elimination of chaos from our lives. He has a much greater plan. God is at work for His greater purpose of bringing the universe into submission to Jesus Christ. [2] He’s also at work in us, not for us to experience the American dream, but for us to be transformed more and more into the image of Christ. [3]

Get with the plan?

If God’s plan is different than us just being happy, how can we get with His plan? Even though we love smooth, predictable days with no oversleeping, no train delays, no mustard stains and dazzling presentations, this is not necessarily God’s plan for our day.

What if far greater, eternal things happen in the midst of our difficulties? What if, in our trials, we learn more and more to depend on God and not on ourselves? [4] What if problems lead us into more intense interactions with folks around us, giving opportunities to love them more deeply?

The Rest of the Story

In the above scenario, when you finish speaking your presentation, you feel relieved. As far as you can tell, you hit all the major points from your presentation.

To your surprise, the client walks up and congratulates you on how you owned up to your struggles and forged ahead, even with an ugly blob of mustard on your shirt. You both laugh. Your client mentions similar experiences and empathizes with you.

When the client leaves, you’re junior colleague comes up and compliments you on how cool you were under pressure and asks you how you did it. This gives you an opportunity to give glory to God for what He did in you. You tell him how you were praying and asking God for guidance the whole way through.

Hearing your name, you look over and see your client and boss talking. They both smile at you. Your presentation did the trick, the client is renewing for another year.

Stepping Into the Greater Plan

Not every bad day ends with circumstantial success. Some days are so bad we feel the effects for a long time. However, if we stick with God’s greater plan as our goal, our actions can have positive eternal ramifications.

The bottom line has to do with our goal for each day. Is our primary goal to be successful in all our tasks with no problems? Or is our first priority to love God and whomever He puts in our path as we go about our duties? [5]

This change in focus is a paradigm shift which changes everything concerning our stress levels and our joy. Keeping God’s greater purposes in mind, we develop a love first mentality.

If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you (John 15-10-12 NASB).

Prayer

Lord, I’ve had days like what is described above. At the time, it felt as if my life was falling apart and crashing into the sea. But, You are an ever present help in my times of trouble. [6] Thank You.

You are trustworthy. You know what’s best for me. You never stop working for my greater good. Please increase my faith that I might always trust in Your greater purposes no matter my circumstances. Please help me order my days around loving over accomplishments.

Amen

[1] Song by The Shirelles, 1961

[2] Ephesians 1:9-12

[3] Romans 8:28-29

[4] II Corinthians 1:8-9

[5] Matthew 22:36-40

[6] Psalms 46:1-3

Other Posts on Experiencing God during Difficulties:

When Things Get Hard

Turing Drainers into Gainers

Can we be Sad and Glad at the Same Time?

Casting Your Burdens

Knowing God’s Love in Spite of the Circumstances

Mustering our Faith

Fixing Our Hope on What Lasts

Dealing with Sadness and Disappointment

I Can’t Do This

Longing Hearts

Until the Darkness Fades

Finding the Silver Lining

Orienting our Lives Around God’s Greater Purposes

Remaining Cheerful

Joy Which Brings Endurance

What’s a Normal Agenda

The Lord Our Keeper

The Monkey Trap

Nearsighted

Embracing God’s Purposes in our Pain

Done Trying to Fix Life

Near to the Broken Hearted

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Trusting God through very hard times, Waiting

When God Says Wait

January 10, 2023 robuck4@aol.com 3 Comments

Growing up, I had an idealistic scenario of what I hoped my future would be like. My aim was a life of peace and circumstantial happiness. But it didn’t take long to realize reality is far different.

When I gave my life to Jesus Christ, I figured it would be much better since I’d chosen the right path. What I didn’t factor in is true life is about something far greater than comfort and smooth circumstances.

God is working for my good, but He alone knows what that is. Sometimes we face hard, confusing situations. Jesus tells us we’ll experience troubles , but we wonder why since all they seem to produce is pain. [1]

In a broken relationship my wife and I are facing with a close family member, God seems to have erected a ‘God at Work – No Trespassing’ sign. We’ve done all we know to do.

We pray ferociously. We cry out. We wait.

The following steps help:

Don’t Pretend

Don’t pretend all is well. Acknowledge life is different than you had hoped. Accept the loss and feel the pain.

Lord, I call You near in the depths of my grief. You’re the God of all Comfort. Sooth my pain with the Joy of Your presence.[2]

Celebrate God’s Faithfulness

Celebrate the fact that God has seen you through tough times before and trust He will do it again in this situation.

Lord, You’ve been so faithful through so many difficulties. Looking back, I certainly see how You’ve used these trials for me to give up trying to live life on my own and to trust You.[3] The eternal work You’ve done in my soul makes this very hard situation worth it. It has strengthened me emotionally and spiritually. It has drawn me closer to my bride.

Stop Fretting

Fret – to be worried or anxious.

Catch yourself in the act of fretting about what you can’t change. This is in the Lord’s hands. Decide to stop trying to figure things out.

Lord, I trust You to invite me into this difficulty when You’re ready. I don’t want to thwart what You’re doing. In the meantime, I trust You’re at work in the lives of all involved in ways I may never understand.

Focus on What’s Beautiful

Focus on the beautiful things on this side of the ‘God at Work’ sign.

With the birds, celebrate the waking of the new day. Look your loved ones in the face and take in every precious moment. Stay present. Engage your senses in all of God’s moments. Savor. Acknowledge God’s nearness in every detail of His creation.

Though we may feel as if we’ve failed, in Christ, we believers are complete. [4] and no situation can change that. We died, and our lives are now hidden with Christ in God.[5]

Lord, in You I’m okay, even if this situation is never resolved. I’m free to enjoy life’s moments with You, in spite of any unexpected situation.

Take Time to Draw Near

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; (Psalm 73:28a NASB)

Lord, my heart is ready to be glad. In you, I rejoice always, even when life takes a turn which threatens my sense of well being. Through it all, my eyes are on You. My faith is growing because of this hard reality in ways I would have never thought possible. I draw closer to You every day because of it. I don’t need this situation to work out to be okay.

You are enough.

My life is oriented from things above where I’m seated with You. My comfort is not the most important thing. Please continue Your work while I wait.

Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:31 NASB)

[1] John 16:33

[2] II Corinthians 1:3-5

[3] II Corinthians 1:8-9

[4] Colossians 2:9-10

[5] Colossians 3:3

Other Posts on enduring Hard Times:

When Things Get Hard

Turing Drainers into Gainers

Can we be Sad and Glad at the Same Time?

Casting Your Burdens

Knowing God’s Love in Spite of the Circumstances

Mustering our Faith

Fixing Our Hope on What Lasts

Dealing with Sadness and Disappointment

I Can’t Do This

Longing Hearts

Until the Darkness Fades

Finding the Silver Lining

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

God is our Reward, What is Good?

Do we Just Settle for a Good Day?

January 10, 2020 robuck4@aol.com 4 Comments

Recently a missionary dear to our hearts made a statement which is rocking my world. She said when invited by God to serve and love someone, she has a choice. She can step into what God wants for her or choose to just have a good day.

Over the last few years she’s learned a deep level of dependence upon God for provision and direction. She doesn’t always have the luxury of knowing how the next bill will be paid or what she’ll be doing six months from now.

She’s sensed the Lord’s calling to go wherever He sends her – Jesus’ nomad. She’s learning to listen to her Savior’s voice and follow where He leads.

She’s been on several ministry trips speaking the name of Jesus boldly and offering His salvation for those who believe. There have been healings and “unlikely” conversions. At times she’s felt foolish, but her desire is to always listen and obey what she believes God is asking her to do.

Wow. I want this kind of heart for Jesus. Aren’t we all called to be missionaries? Didn’t Jesus send us out to our own people to tell what marvelous things the Lord has done for us and how He’s shown us mercy? Aren’t we all to follow Jesus with this same gusto, being His disciples and making disciples?

I want to learn this level of dependence, trust and obedience. Am I allowing my desire for good days to get in the way of something bold Jesus wants to do through me?

A Good Day

What is a good day? Is it accomplishing what needs to be done amid pleasant circumstances, being with the ones we love, doing things we enjoy? I like days like that, but does my desire for ease keep me from stepping into what God wants for me?

Unlike our missionary, I’ve settled into the comfort of predictability. There’s nothing wrong with planning, but do I allow my plans to cloud what God may want me to do? I pray not. Smooth days are nice, but they can feel empty. Good days are pointers to what’s is wonderfully, joyfully, eternally good – God Himself.

Asaph wrote after he entered the sanctuary of the Lord, But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; (Psalm 73:28a)

God is what’s really good, no matter what our circumstances are. He’s at work in us to help us know this, sometimes through difficulties. He doesn’t want us to settle for less than Him as our heart’s desire.

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” (Genesis 15:1b NIV)

Prayer

Lord, I surrender my longings for a smooth, comfortable life. Like our missionary, I want to choose you over a good day. I know You are my Good. No matter what happens, You are with me. In Your presence is fullness of Joy. Lead me into a deeper surrender of those comforts I hold on to.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. (John 10:27-28)

Lord, help me learn to hear Your voice. Guide me into the adventures You have for me each day. I want to speak Your name boldly and offer Your Salvation to those You bring my way. You are my Life.

Amen

[1] Unless otherwise noted, the Scriptures quoted are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures. Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post once a week. Thank you for reading.

Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

The Joy of the Lord

What is Abundant Life? (Republished in the Moments)

August 6, 2016 robuck4@aol.com Leave a comment

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10

I love Saturday mornings. Unless I’ve packed my schedule too tightly, there’s time to sit and relish God’s nearness.

This morning I read John 10:10. I pause at the promise of abundant life.

Abundant Life. What does it really mean?

Through our country’s eyes, abundance has a lot to do with possessions. Yet we know this kind of abundance doesn’t produce abundant life.

Statistic show that half the world’s wealth is in the hands of 1% of the population. Can these 1% say their possessions have given them abundant life? History is dotted with sad stories that say no. Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Howard Hughes and Earnest Hemingway are just a few who lived in abundance of possessions, yet their lives ended sadly, not reflecting the abundant life Jesus is referring to.

In fact, it can be argued that abundant possessions inhibit abundant life. Stuff can drain much time and energy, leaving little margin for true abundance.

By implication, abundance can also be associated with success, good health and overall good circumstanced. There is certainly nothing wrong with desiring all these things, but we know that circumstantial happiness does not translate directly to abundant life either.

The abundant life Jesus refers is not tied to possessions or circumstances. In fact His abundant life is exponentially more satisfying and stable than either.

Years ago, during a two week missions trip to Lima Peru, I was deeply saddened by the living conditions I saw. Poverty forced mothers to do the unthinkable, releasing their young sons to fend for themselves on the streets.

Our group served at Casa Hogar, an orphanage designed to feed and educated these children. But many of the abandoned children were already steeped in a life of glue sniffing, stealing and prostitution. Chained to this life, they refused the long term help of the orphanage. Some were adopted, however, and shown the love of Jesus.

In spite of all the poverty and sadness in Lima, there was a quality of love we saw in the believers which I had not experienced in the United States. The folks who worked at Casa Hogar seemed to be refreshingly free from the pursuit of possessions and smooth circumstances.

We all experienced such a depth of the love of Jesus during our two weeks in Peru that many of us dreaded to return to the “rat race” of the American culture.

We had the audacity to think we were traveling to South America to “minster” the love of Jesus to folks in dire straights. But we were the ones who were deeply touched by the love of Jesus flowing through the Peruvians, even the children.

As I take another sip of coffee, and notice a squirrel repelling down a wire to once again help itself to our bird seed, I write the following words:

Abundant life is not abundant possessions or smooth circumstances. Abundant life is Abundant love.

The Bible is saturated with remarkable language about God’s love, but there is no better demonstration of abundant love than what Jesus did for each one of us on the cross.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.[1]

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)[2]

As I watch the squirrel wrapped around the feeder, spilling seed everywhere, I conclude that the kind of abundant life Jesus promises us has everything to do with His love.

But how does God’s abundant love translate into an abundant life for us on a day by day basis? In other words, what is our part in God’s story of abundant love?

I believe the answer is in John 15.

In verse 9, we get a such an astounding definition of abundant love that only the Spirit of God can fully reveal it to our hearts. Jesus tells us “Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you;”

Pause a moment. Jesus loves us as much as God the Father loves Him. This is stunning!

Allow this truth full access to your heart, penetrating every hardened sinew of protection and blowing away every argument of self hatred.

Jesus loves us beyond our comprehension and He demonstrated it by dying in our place on the cross

The second part of John 15:9 is a command:

“Remain in my love.”

Remain where God has placed us, in the love of Jesus. We did nothing to earn this love, ours is to not move from where we have been placed.

Verses 10 and 12 tell us how.

If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love. (10)

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. (12)

We remain in Jesus love, by loving like Him; by being willing in every situation to love sacrificially. This is what we experienced in Peru; folks being freed up from chasing possessions and smooth circumstances to love like Jesus in spite of their poverty and difficulties.

Imagine for a moment what it would be like to not have the burden of the “rat race” facing us every day; to rather ask God each day, by the Indwelling Spirit of Christ, to love the people He brings our way; to yield to the Spirit in us to allow Him to love as us.

This is abundant life. Allowing the abundant love of Jesus to flow through us. ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:38

If you don’t see already that abundant life is abundant love, allow me to seal the deal.

Couched in between verses 10 and 12 in John 15 is the following verse:

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. John 15:11

Abundant life is abundant love.

[1] Romans 5:8

[2] Ephesians 2:4-5

Complete in Christ

Walking it Out

Challenge

Prayer

Lima Peru

Challenge

Prayer

Soul Recovery

What’s the plan?

Get with the plan?

The Rest of the Story

Stepping Into the Greater Plan

Prayer

Stop Fretting

Focus on What’s Beautiful

Take Time to Draw Near

A Good Day

Prayer

Experiencing God in the moments of our lives