A TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL

Have you found that certain words evoke certain feelings or images?

For example, what thoughts or images does the word cheap conjure up in your mind?

How about the word abundant or the word bountiful, or even the word alone?

When you think of the word cheap does it conjure up an image of Christ on the Cross? Of course not. And why? Because He was giving everything He had for you and for me.

When I think of the word abundant it reminds me of that wonderful passage in the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 10, where Jesus said:

“I have come that (those who believe in me) may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly“.

And when I think of the word bountiful, it reminds me of these words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Christians in Galatia, chapter 3, verse 5:

“He therefore who bountifully supplies you the Spirit….”

There was nothing about Jesus that could even remotely be associated with the word cheap and everything about Him can and must be associated with the words abundant and bountiful.

And why is that so important to you and to me? It is so we can know and believe that we will never be alone. For He said:

™ll never leave you nor forsake you. I’ll be with you Always. (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5)

But alone in this context does not mean that precious solitude, that time of re-creation which we all need from time to time.

It means that we are not left to our own resources to work out the ups and downs of this life. That is the role of the Holy Spirit and it is why it is given to us bountifully. All we have to do is receive it, gratefully.

There are two wonderful stories in the Bible about Jesus feeding 4,000 and again where He fed 5,000. In both instances all He had to begin with were a few loaves and a few small fish. But when the people had eaten their fill, they had 12 baskets full of left-overs.

What is the significance of the left-overs?

It’s that when God does anything, He does it abundantly, He does it bountifully….always!

OH! REALLY? Wow…