How fully you are living life? Here are some diagnostic questions.
- How often do you feel carefree?
- Are you excited about your future?
- Are you happy?
- What has the ability to make or break your day?
- How often to you compare yourself to others?
- Are you thriving or surviving?
- Men, do you feel like you have what it takes?
- Do you respect yourself?
- Ladies, do you feel desired?
- Do you see yourself as beautiful?
- Teens, what makes you feel embarrassed?
- How important is it that other teens like you?
- Singles, divorced, widowed: does your single status make you feel inferior?
- Are you healthy and balanced?
- Do you look in the mirror and see a failure?
- Do you look in the mirror and see a victim?
- If you died tonight, are you certain that you’d be in heaven?
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing … he refreshes my soul … my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:1,3,5). When you believe in Jesus and call him “my shepherd,” how much does he give? How much healing and hope? How much mercy? How much provision and power? How much of his personal presence?
More than you need. It overflows.
The Son of God who miraculously fed over 5,000 hungry people so full that his disciples collected leftover bread and fish—he miraculously fills your life with more than you need. Follow him and you’ll find more than morsels.
The Son of God who miraculously turned water into not just any wine, but the best of the best wine—me miraculously turns your empty hopes and dreams into the best of his best blessings. Drink from him you’ll be filled.
In this world of information overload robbing our attention, Jesus gives you his full attention. He says it this way, “I am the gate for the sheep … whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture” (John 10:7,9). Jesus is teaching two things here: safety and sufficiency.
In order to keep their sheep safe from predators or their own tendencies to wander and get lost, shepherds created a sheep pen by using rocks or pieces of wood to build a circular fence. They corralled the sheep into the pen each night through an opening in the fence, and then the shepherd would lie down in that opening and go to sleep with one eye open. Nothing could come in or go out without his permission.
Jesus is your safety more than everything else. Call on him in trouble, pray to him and trust his ways. Rely on his presence and power more than your own. Jesus satisfies you more than everything else.
Bountiful fields full of his acts, his blessings, his character and divine presence are completely sufficient.
As you come in and go out, pastures of his life and teaching in the Bible fill you with his life.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I am safe in you, and sufficient in your care. Fill me with more of you. Refresh my soul. Save me from sin. Lead me into your plans and purposes today. Amen.
SPIRITUAL NEXT STEP: Search online for the commercials from State Farm Insurance featuring Jake the State Farm agent. Customers lavish him with extraordinary gifts for the lavish, full insurance coverage he gives to customers. Laugh together with others. Pick your favorite. Talk about how this compares to a fulfilled life from Jesus.
