Abundant: plentiful, sufficiently enough, overflowing

I have been on a journey with Jesus, on this journey there have been times when I have wanted to quit, thinking I could not go on, things never appear to get any better. Knowing that the enemy is always attempting to tempt me to give up, and in doing that I would become useless to the kingdom of God. Yet, each time the enemy would strike the Holy Spirit would rise up within me to remind me of all His many promises, and encourage me to keep moving forward. Well lately I have said "Lord I don't see the abundant life in me!" So we went on a journey to allow His word to once more reveal Himself to me and allow His word to show me who I am in Him. Not who I think I am, not who the enemy says I am, and not who others say I am. I am a child of the King, I am more than a conqueror, I am a branch attached to the vine and abiding in Him, therefore my life is not based on anything other than Him. So here is the journey we took together, as He enlightened me through His word. May it help one of you.

John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Who is the thief? The devil, he desires that we remain dead, empty, of no kingdom use. For the unbeliever he spreads his lies, "you have time", "it is not real", "you are good enough".

For the believer he speaks deception: "it is impossible", "no one really cares","you are not good enough","give up, quit, where is God?"

The enemy brings in fear which is the strangler of faith, he will attempt to kill the anointing God has placed in us by speaking doubt, which is unbelief, he will attempt to destroy our ministry by causing us to give up and quit.

I see that, I understand that,  yet right now I cry out "where is this abundant life?" each day, each week I struggle just to keep my head above the persistent waves.

So I must look at what is this life we have been promised. Our eternal life is not somewhere far in the future it is right now, the very moment we accepted the invitation of Jesus Christ for salvation my eternal life began. I like the NLT version it says "a rich and satisfying life". Too many thing "Money" when they think "Abundant"  yet I learned years ago, that has nothing to do with "Money". So I asked "Lord what does the abundant life look like? The scripture below was the first one to come to my mind:

Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Right now I am seeing John 10:10 in the spiritual with kingdom purpose. Though the enemy can attack us physically, and at times he will, his goal is to affect our inner man. Remember in the book of Job; the devil attacked Job in every area for one purpose to get Job to "curse God". He continues to do that today. Yet Christ Jesus our Lord came to bring life, to free us from the yoke of bondage to sin, to reconcile us to God the Father.

Life is the opposite of something that is dead.

Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins

Though our bodies were alive, before Christ we were spiritually dead His Holy Spirit brought life to our dead spirit, regenerating us. Now what was once dead to the things of God are made alive.

At times in my inner man I can say "My cup runneth over" I am so full of God's word, of God's presence and of God's blessings I don't know how I could take in anymore. Then He empties me and once more I become hungry for His word, for His presence and for His blessings. Yet whether I am full or empty I must be as Paul and be content. How can I be content when I am empty, you may ask? I can be content because I know that He is filling me again, that more of self will be gone, and I will be used by Him for His kingdom purposes.

Still asking the Lord, but Lord what does a person walking in the abundant life look like? Immediately His Holy Spirit brought a post my friend made this morning on Facebook.

John 15:5,8 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 8. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be my disciples. 

So here is what I have found: No matter what the circumstances of life might bring my way. My life in Christ Jesus my Lord is greater and more abundant than what may be happening around me. Contentment is not found in my circumstances it is found in His presence. Remaining in (abiding in) Jesus Christ keeps me attached to the Vine and in the care and presence of the watchful eye of the Vinedresser, God the Father. Our abundant life becomes visible to all around us by His fruit that we bear. And He desires we bear much fruit.

The end!!