Week 4 | day twenty-six
True Abundant Life
Whom have I in Heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-26
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. Hebrews 10:23, NLT:
I have always had it all planned out. Life. "Abundant life"…the metaphorical picket fence and beautiful family (who always, always obeys and honors), and a church where I could comfortably serve in the gifts that come very naturally to me. "Oh, I'm sorry, anything outside of that bubble, I can't… I'm too busy." "You want me to serve there? Oh, I'm sorry, that's not my gifting."
I've just given you a view inside my head every time the Lord has called me over the past 15 years. Those are my very first thoughts. But then the second thoughts come. "My power is made perfect in weakness." "He who calls you is faithful." "There are good works your Father has prepared in advance for you to do." "You are Thoroughly equipped unto every good work." "He equips those He calls." (2 Corinthians 12:9, Hebrews 10:23, Ephesians 2:10, 2 Timothy 3:17, Ephesians 4:12, Hebrews 13:21)
Those "second thoughts" are the Holy Spirit, kindly reminding me of everything He has taught me. He promised He would do that, and He does (John 14:26). So, I have a choice. Do I say "yes" to do something that will stretch me? "Lord, you see how busy I am. You know my capacity….surely not" I say. Then again, I hear, "Surely, I am with you always" "I am your ever-present help." Holy Spirit is there, again, speaking His truth from the infallible Word of God. (Matthew 28:20, Psalm 46:1)
My "surely not”s are changed in that moment to "SURELY, HE WILL!"
- He sees my bank account the minute He asks me to give it all to the last penny. He also sees His perfect provision to follow.
- He sees how busy family life is, but He also sees the hearts touched and the lives changed from His work through my hands. He sees the faith built in my family as we serve the Lord together.
- He sees my brain on overload already, but He also sees the provision to learn that He has made available to me.
- He sees my weakness, and He sees His power being made perfect.
- He sees the words I speak in obedience, and He promises that His Word never returns void.
He calls us all differently, yet His promises are the same.
The courage to step out of Comfort and Ease is in truly believing that God is who He says He is, then noticing when He is. It comes in building remembrances so that we can return to faith over and over.
I think about His promise to thoroughly equip me and then think of a specific time that He has done just that. I think of His promise to give me peace that passes understanding, then tie it to a time when I had a peace I couldn't explain. I think about the time I was so discouraged and received encouragement at just the right time—-And I realize that He was the lifter of my head, just as He promised He would be.
And therein lies courage. Trusting our big God to be 100% true to His word. Then leaning in and waiting for Him to show Himself Faithful.
THAT is the real comfort—Being "on mission" and seeing the miracle of His hand at work and His word fulfilled. Truly knowing in our heart of hearts that If God is for us, who can be against us??
THAT is abundant life!
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Today's Prayer: Lord bring to mind everything you have taught me. Remind me over and over of your faithfulness to me. Call me to courage to see You do it again as You call me out of my comforts into Your Abundant Life!
Today's challenge: Choose a promise from Scripture and recall a time when God was exactly who His Word said He is. Be specific! Find another promise, and do it again! Build remembrances to have ready the next time you're called to faith! Thank the Lord for being Faithful to you!
