Abundant Life!!!!!!!!!!

"I have come that you have life and have it abundantly."- Jesus

That comes from John 10:10.

But for years all I LIVED was the beginning of that verse:

"The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy;"

I lived, not really knowing any other way, but allowing the enemy of  my soul to steal from me, to kill, and destroy.

I lived in darkness, even after I became a believer. 

 I lived in fears.

I lived in anger.

I lived depressed.

I lived oppressed.

The thief stole the light. 

The thief kept me in inner and outer chaos. 

The thief tried to kill my hope. 

 The thief tried to destroy my mind, my will and my emotions. 

The thief tried every way...before I was a believer and after I was- for me to live in darkness, to live oppressed and depressed, to live full of fear, to be overwhelmed with anger. 

 To steal, kill and destroy not only me...but my family.

But then...the rest of the verse Jesus spoke into my heart:

"Starla, I have come that YOU have life- not death (separation)- and have it abundantly, (beyond what is anticipated, exceeding expectation; "more abundant," going past the expected limit, "more than enough").

And Starla, in this world you WILL have tribulations (this particular word in the Greek means internal pressure, compression) but be of good courage, I HAVE OVERCOME the world.

Starla, you don't have to live anymore in darkness. You don't have to live anymore in fear of the thief. You don't have live depressed or oppressed anymore. You don't have to. Because I have come that you have Life, I AM LIFE and have ME abundantly- more than you ever anticipated.

Starla, lay aside every weight and burden- yes, that may be some really good things in your life or it may not be but lay them aside. And lay aside the easily entangling sin- WITH ENDURANCE, for I am your Endurance- run the race I have set before you with your eyes (ALL OF YOU) fixed on Me.

You really can live this life in freedom, for it for freedom that I have set you free- as long as you keep your eyes fixed on Me, you won't lose hope and grow weary."

All I had to do was receive. Yield. Surrender. Come to the end of my self and to Jesus. Brokenness.

And He gave me life. Abundant life. Not life that ebbs and flows. But a life of peace. Life of joy. 

 Even in tribulations- internal pressure. 

 Even in distresses- external pressure.

And in this Life, this Abundant Life, He invites you.