John 10:10 The Abundant Life
“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 may have it more abundantly” (NIV).
Even in the desert, we have abundant life, and in a saguaro cactus, we have abundant life. Near Tucson there are large abundant stands of saguaro cactus, and this particular one exhibits the trait of abundance well with the large number of arms. What little rain that falls is collected and stored in the arms of the Saguaro and other cacti. After a good rain, the cacti are plump, and when the rains are far apart, the arms of the saguaro and the paddles of the prickly pear get visibly smaller. Somehow, they seem to be able to hold enough to last until the next rain. I think that was planned by the same God who created all of this in the first place.
If there is evidence of abundance in the desert, how much more should abundance be evident in our lives and in the life of the Church. Perhaps we should take a clue from the cacti and drink in all of God’s blessings we can get whenever we gather together as His children. It seems like His blessings flow in greater abundance when our praise and thankfulness are in abundance, whether it be corporately in a church gathering or in our one-on-one time with our Lord. He has provided for abundance as a gift, but like all gifts, it must be received. If we showed our desire to receive the blessings of God to the extent that God shows His desire to give them, the world would have to take notice. The greatest compliment that we can receive, and the only compliment we desire from this world, is when someone says, “I want the peace and joy you have. How can I get it?” By sharing the love of God and demonstrating the peace and joy we receive from Him, we open the opportunity to share God’s message of salvation. That’s when we let the Holy Spirit take over and speak the words that need to be said. Our actions and our lives are the gateways into the realm of the spoken word, and when we let the Holy Spirit speak, we know that the message is spoken with love and grace. It appears that one of the best ways to spread the Good News is to live the life of abundance that God provides.