Abundant Life? Where?

Yesterday, I found what is now one of my favorite places here in Pensacola. I plan on getting a pic up soon to share. This was not a fabulous posh gourmet restaurant, nor a quaint but long forgotten bookstore hidden in the historic district, but it was quiet little spot along the water. What made it a favorite place in Pensacola? Well perhaps it was the beauty of the day, clear blue skies and the bright sun reflecting off of the water? Or was it the near by park filled with the barks of dogs and laughter of children? Was it the breeze blowing through the reeds at the bank, the fish jumping, or the hawk flying overhead? Although these parts of creation were surrounding me and the beauty of our Lord never ceases to amaze, it was the peaceful feeling of being with my Daddy(Abba), being in the arms of my heavenly Father. I was at rest just being His daughter and I did not want to leave!
Things have been so chaotic in my life for the last 5 years and the last 2 months have intensified. In all the midst of suffering, where is that Abundant Life Jesus said he came to give us? I just don't see it most days, but with the recent circumstances of my life I feel a desperation in the necessity of obtaining this promise that our Lord gave. One thing though, If I know him it wont be the way I think of going about getting it!
So I have been suffering for a while now and have just never approached that part of Christian thought about joining Christ in his sufferings, LOL! I laugh because I just can not believe that I have not studied that considering all the suffering? Remember I am a sheep! I guess it is not on the top ten list of, 'Things most Christians want to know about!" So I will be studying that, pray for me. I'm sure there will be insight!
So, I was reading through Psalm37 yesterday, at a favorite place in Pensacola(if you ask me I may tell you where it is, or I may not:), and I found myself noticing the roles. What is our role in this relationship, not religion, with God? What is God's role? Well I just went through Psalm 37 and this is what I got:
What God does:

• He will give you your heart's desires. v.4


• He will help you. v.5


• He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn. v.6


• He will act. v. 7


• He will take care of the godly. v.17 (that is you because of Jesus)


• He takes care of the innocent. v. 18


• He directs the steps of the godly. v.23(that is you because of Jesus)


• He delights in every detail of their lives. v.23 (your life)


• He holds them by the hand. v. 24


• He loves justice v.28


• He will never abandon the godly. v.28(again that is you because of Jesus)


• He rescues the godly. v.39(you)


• He helps them. v.40


• He rescues them from the wicked. v.40


• He saves them. v. 40

Wow! What a busy God! Now what do we do:

• Trust Him v.3,5,9,


• Take delight in Him v.4


• Commit everything to Him. v.5


• Be still and wait for Him v.7


• Stumble v.24


• Offer good counsel. v.30


• Make God's law your own. v.31 (Choose His ways)


• Put your hope in Him. v.34


• Travel steady. v.34


• Love peace. v. 37


• Find shelter in Him. v.40

Is it just me or did we get the easy end of this bargain? If it is so easy then why does it seem so hard?

Well I guess in Jn. 316:33 Jesus said, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." What does that mean. Well as part was talking about persecution for our faith, I believe the other part was talking about the sorrow from sin. We encounter many things in this world tragedy, sickness, and just plain evil. We have loved ones die from cancer to young, we have marriages separate, we have people choosing to destroy their lives with drugs and alcohol and various other sorrows in this life, sufferings. I have experienced lots of these, as a Christian, so again I ask where is this "Abundant life"? Well I think It is in the peace Jesus talks about. This peace is He, himself. He gives us himself to be able to survive the sin and temptations of this world because He is our very life! It is the being in him part that throws me, I have trouble sticking in him, don't you? That is why yesterday by the water was such a wonderful time for me. I was experiencing His peace by Abiding with him. Abiding in the vine is where that Abundant life is. Only if we can stay connected to Christ can we make it through the sins of this world. We will stumble as the Psalmist states but we can rest assured that we will not stay down because He's got our hand, we have Him as our life, and Beloved this is not our home!