Abundawonderful Life | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Abundawonderful Life | Previous Challenge Entry
By Allison Egley
06/15/06
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Sheep are dumb. There’s no other way to put it. I remember my pastor telling us a story about sheep. There was a heard of sheep on a cliff. For some reason, one of the sheep ran off the edge of the cliff. The rest followed him. Most of the sheep died, but a few survived the long fall from the cliff. Why did they survive? Well, the ones that ran off the cliff last survived because the sheep that had fallen to their death “piled up” and provided enough of a cushion for the rest of the sheep

How often do we as Christians do the same thing? We follow the latest trends without even thinking. We see one person doing something and think it must be a good idea. It’s only later, after others have cushioned our fall, that we realize what a dumb idea it was to run off the cliff in the first place.

Thank goodness, we have The Shepherd who will give us another chance; not just one chance, or two or three, but as many as we need to get it right. He gives us an abundance of forgiveness.

He gives us mercy. We deserve nothing but death and suffering in this word. We are fallen creatures trying to please a Holy God! He gives us an abundance of mercy.

Not only does He not give us what we do deserve, He blesses us with so much we don’t deserve. He allows us to enter His presence and see a glimpse of His holiness. He gives us an abundance of grace.

His love for us is a love much deeper than we will ever understand. He sent His One and Only Son to die for us so we could be with Him. Nothing can ever take that love away. He gives us an abundance of love.

He is omnipotent. He can move mountains and He can change the hardest of hearts. He can give us strength when we have nothing left. He helps us to make it through the day when our problems overwhelm us. He gives us an abundance of strength and power.

He is all knowing. When we are at a loss for answers and when we don’t know what the next day will bring, He promises to take care of us. He knows the answers to the hard questions. We will never understand His purpose for everything, but we can trust that He knows best, and that He can work all things for good. He gives us an abundance of knowledge.

When those questions become overwhelming and too numerous, He can calm our hearts. While He may not reveal the answer, He will provide a comfort and peace that surpasses all understanding. When we are scared, He can give us a sense of security. He gives us an abundance of comfort, peace, and security.

He commands His angels to watch over us. There are many times when He saves us from unseen dangers, whether they are physical, mental, or spiritual dangers, whether they are outside or within ourselves. He gives us an abundance of protection.

He gave Abraham many descendants. He spared Isaac. He gave Noah the sign of the rainbow. He led the Israelites to the Promised Land. He will not harm us. He gives us an abundance of promises.

His word is infallible. We can depend on anything He says. His word has been proven time and time again. He gives us an abundance of truth.

He provides for us in ways we cannot explain. He uses ordinary and extraordinary ways to provide even our most basic needs. He gives us an abundance of provisions.

Our Good Shepherd does not lose track of His sheep. He leads us to quiet waters and green pastures. He leads us through the valleys and the shadows. I remember listening to a tape as a young child about how God is our shepherd. One of the sheep said that we have a wonderful, abundant life in Jesus… an abundawonderful life. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Is. 53:6). An abundawonderful life indeed.

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Author’s notes:

[1] “abundawonderful life” is taken from the song “Abundawonderful Life in Jesus” by Kathie Hill.

[2] I do not subscribe to the private message service. Please leave all comments here.

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