Ever wonder what abundant life looks like? It is the actualization of the promises of God working in our lives today on earth. Here’s 14 of them!
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He will be with you (Joshua 1:9)
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He will bless you. (Deut 7:13)
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He will provide for you (1 Tim 6:17)
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He will give you rest (Matt 11:28)
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He will go before you (Deut 31:8)
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He will guide you (Isaiah 58:11)
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He will answer you (Jer 33:3)
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He will strengthen you (Isaiah 41:10)
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He will not fail you (Hebrews 13:5)
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He will always love you (Jeremiah 31:3)
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He will lead you to pasture. (John 10:9)
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He will take the evil in your life and turn it into good. (Gen 50:20)
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He will give your life meaning that no one can take away. (Rom 8:28)
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He will give you hope. (Jer 29:11)
Always remember that in today’s covenant, it is only because of Jesus and his sacrifice for us that God is holy to carry these promises to completion. “Holy” doesn’t mean high, mighty and untouchable. It means totally set apart – He can fulfill promises that man cannot, He can love in a way that man cannot. That’s why the Bible calls Jesus the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2). Is Jesus lovely?
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Cor 1:20)
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. (John 10:9)
This is what a “saved” state of being looks like… God actively using grace and mercy to save your life and being restoration and meaning.
That is our Jesus. All these promises are found within the death and resurrection of Jesus. He conquered death and sin, and through Him there is a new way… we are New Creations. As new creations, new rules apply to us. Imagine if the Laws of Physics in this world changed. That’s what happened to us in the spiritual realm. We are now powered by Grace, and not by Law (human performance). We are now represented by Jesus, and not by ourselves. When God looks at you, He doesn’t look at all your failings, He sees Jesus and all the great things Jesus did.
Even king David yearned for what we have, because God’s blessings upon his life was greatly contingent on his human performance. David had to be perfect to enjoy those blessings. But he couldn’t be perfect all the time. Hence, his spirit could never really be at the state of rest. After being punished for his sin, David said:
“Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven,whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” (Psalm 32:1-2)
See why Jesus’ sacrifice for us that paid for our sins is so important? (Romans 4)
As we mature in our faith, when you look at all of the promises above, you don’t see promises anymore – all the promises morph into the person of Jesus. And as we see all promises, creation and face of God in Jesus, we are staring at the Lord’s glory and we are transformed.
This is what is means when “we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:18)
Isn’t that something to really be thankful about?
Happy thanksgiving!
Love
Ken
letters to a modern-day Job 