The Abundant Life

"As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul thirsts for God, for the living God."

(Psalm 42:1-2)

I heard a story yesterday in church that just compelled me to write.  Our pastor shared that he sat next to a gentleman on a recent flight who had just experienced the death of a son.  The father, who happened to be a believer, shared the story of how the devastating death occurred.  He also shared with our pastor that many had come to their home to comfort their family, sharing similar stories of distressful pain and loss.  Finally, the father remarked, he just longed to hear the Word of God shared.  So he suggested that they open up the Bible and just read ... and read ... and read.  And that's what they did.    

The only comfort he found during this deep time of need, was the comfort from the Word of God.

So often we fail to turn to the Word of God during our times of despair.  And I won't stop at despair.  So often we fail to turn to the Bible when we feel we are failing in life.  When we are struggling in our relationships.  What about when we are seeking a new direction in life?  When we cannot find our purpose?  

Once we grab a hold of this resource given to us by our God, we will begin to see transformation in every area of our lives -- our prayer life, our relationships, our minds, our actions.  I would bet my life on it.  I've experienced it and it proves true.  

A.W. Tozer says the following regarding this topic in his book entitled "The Pursuit of God":

"The doctrine of justification by faith - a biblical truth, and a blessed relief from sterile legalism and unavailing self effort - has in our time fallen into evil company and been interpreted by many in such a manner as actually to bar men from the knowledge of God. The whole transaction of religious conversion has been made mechanical and spiritless.  Faith may now be exercised without a jar to the moral life and without embarrassment to the Adamic ego.  Christ may be 'received' without creating any special love for Him in the soul of the receiver.  The man is 'saved,' but he is not hungry nor thirsty after God.  In fact, he is specifically taught to be satisfied and is encouraged to be content with little."

Can I just say something?  Many of us are not living the abundant life.  Sure, we have our stuff - our cars, our houses, our clothes, our kids, our jobs.  But the abundant life God planned for us was not void of daily meditation on the Word of God.  Without it, we absolutely will not experience the abundance God has planned for us.  We do not have to be content in our relationship with God!  We can constantly thirst for more of Him.    

So today, I pray dear friend, that you would open up the Bible.  Pick a passage of Scripture that is familiar to you (or unfamiliar), and meditate on the Word.  Even with reading just a few verses each day, you will start to experience transformation.  Your reliance will become heavily rooted in Jesus.  He will teach you through His Word all that He is all you've been longing for.  

Abundant Life is available to you through His Word!  

For those of you who would like to try a new method of studying the Word of God - of breaking down Scripture - take a look at this previous post: The 3 Question Method.  And if you have another study tip that you feel is particularly effective, please feel free to share!

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

I have come that they may have life,

and have it to the full."

(John 10:10)