Skip to main content

Translate

Abundant life




You know, I said that sometimes I would write here in English. Why? I don’t know, maybe because I am living in the U.S; so, here I am; please, excuse my English, since I am neither a native nor a expertise.
Anyway…

I just wrote the post before this one, and instantly I wanted to write this one about the abundant life, or “to have it to the full” – life. Who said that? Jesus said that.

What is it that caught my attention this verse today? The whole verse is: “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. 

Who is the thief that Jesus is talking about?  The thief is the devil, our archenemy or the enemy of our souls; that one who doesn’t want anything to do with our happiness or success or freedom. He is the one who comes to destroy our lives; he might look like a sheep at once, in the very beginning; but he is no sheep, he is a wolf in a sheep’s skin.

I don’t like when they picture the devil as an ugly creature. Because he is not. He used to be very beautiful, full of light, his name used to mean light. But, he got envious and greedy, and covetous; so he had no place in the realms of heavens anymore. So, God kicked him out. The devil can come with a very good disguise to mislead you; like richness, success, beauty, and so many other things that are always shallow and meaningless. He doesn’t want you thinking too much what are the consequences. He wants you to grab it fast and think later when the disaster is already done. He wants you dumb, dull, numb, blind for life. Live like a robot; live like that because he said it so.
But Jesus, He wants your happiness, your real success. He wants to give you life. How? Why? He came to the world to teach you how to give meaning to your life; he came to show you what is important in this life. He came to this world so He could feel your pain. He needed to be human, and live like a human so he could mirror in Him our lives too. He resurrected so you could resurrect too when the day comes. He is the one who can strengthen your to fight against the devil on a daily basis. In 1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”.
Let’s seek the presence of God, and befriend Jesus, so we can have an abundant life and be safe against the devil’s trap.
Let’s pray: Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your provisions and your sacrifice on that cross. Thank you for giving up your life so I could have mine. I want You to live in me and be alert and sober mind to overcome the devil. Thank you, Lord, in Jesus’ name, Amen.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I see Grace in the time of the Law // Eu vejo Graça no tempo da Lei

People frequently say that the Old Testament is the time of the law, and now we are under the Grace of God. Surprisingly, I just found out an explicit act of the Grace of God in the Old Testament. As I read chapter 9 of Deuteronomy , in which has a title Not because of Righteousness (ESV). I am stunned to see verses 4 - 6, they say: “ Do not say in your heart , after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, ‘ It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you. 5 Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.6 “Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is not giving y...
1 comment
Read more

All Magic comes with a price // Toda mágica tem um preço

  How to Recognize Foolishness and Pursue Wisdom A devotional reflection on humility, discernment, and the cost of our choices Opening Scripture “Do not be wise in your own eyes.” — Proverbs 3:7 Devotional Reading A fool is not the same as an insane person. In my understanding, an insane person is unable to reason clearly; things may not make sense in their mind. A fool, however, is someone who rejects counsel, ignores warnings, disobeys what is right, and acts from wrong motivations. If a person does the wrong thing for the right reason, we may still be able to understand the motive. But foolishness is different: it is often rooted in ignorance, arrogance, and a narrow mind that refuses wisdom. How can we recognize a wise person? In my understanding, a wise person does not act impulsively. This person does not need to suffer through every mistake in order to learn, because wisdom can also come from observing the experiences of ot...
Post a Comment
Read more

Doubts and fears leave us halfway // Dúvidas e medos nos deixam na metade do caminho

  Despite all the sad news I got this week, we are still standing. I am in the Book of Joshua, in my annual Bible reading. There is a part in the book that is kind of boring. It is the distribution of the cities and borders. It is tempting to skip this part, but something that I heard from the guy from the Bible Project usually says, “it is wisdom literature”, or “meditation literature”. There is something important besides geographical information in these texts. And there is. Joshua 17:18c “though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out”. In the beginning of the book and several other parts too, the LORD says to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous”. What does that mean? What is this book really about? Well, the way I see it might not be the same way you see it. The way I see this book is about how we trust God and obey Him. Then we will see Him doing amazing things. It doesn’t matter how n...
Post a Comment
Read more