An Unexpcted Start to my Abundance Search

I had planned to start studying the word abundance at the beginning of the new year. To truly sit down and start searching the scriptures for the things that the Christian are supposed to abound in.

That was my intent.

But not God’s.

I was trying to figure out what to study this morning when God reminded me of a book that I had just unpacked. It was a book I had gotten at the beginning of last year and then set aside. Write the Word: Cultivate Joy-Love One Another. It is a scripture writing journal designed by Lara Casey of Cultivate What Matters. You write a scripture passage, list one thing you are thankful for, write some thoughts about your day, and then chose a word of the day. Very simple.

I grabbed it this morning because I finished the Ann Voskamp devotional yesterday and was looking for something to do. I am so glad I did. I love having my bookshelves complete downstairs so that I can go and find any book that I need. What a wonderful Christmas present from my dear husband.

I opened the book up to the next entry that I needed to do and found a long passage to write out. Romans 15:7-13. I looked several times as she normally has shorter passages.

I read the passage just skimming it and felt a little defeated as nothing seemed to jump out at me. It was talking about Jews and Gentiles. Then I wrote it out and that is when things started to jump out at me.

Romans 15:7-13

⁷ Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

⁸ For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, ⁹ and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
    and sing to your name.”

¹⁰ And again it is said,

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

¹¹ And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
    and let all the peoples extol him.”

¹² And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,
    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

"Welcome"

First of all, what a wonderful passage to read as we are getting ready to start inviting people over our new house. I am to welcome each person who enters our home as Christ would welcome them. To show them the how much Christ loves them by treating them with kindness and compassion and understanding and patience.

"Servant"

Second, I am to be a servant, just like Christ came to be a servant to all. Very convicting because at times I can be very lazy and not want to serve others. This comes out very much if you have a large family. Siblings sometimes do not want to be kind and nice to one another. It seems like I am constantly hearing, “Well, that is not my job, so I am not going to do it.” I want my children to learn to have hearts of servants that seek out to do good to one another simply out of a heart of love. I want them to search out how they can help others. Not to be a doormat, but to be servants. To abound in good works towards their family and friends and others they encounter in their lives. That means that I need to model this for them and show them what service really looks like.

"Praise"

Third, I am to praise God all day long. Every day of my life is to be filled with praise. Worship and music are such an important part of my life. I do not go one day without singing. I always try to make sure that I sing music that is honoring to God. Our house is normally filled with either worship music or showtunes. That is just what you will hear at our house. It is who we are. We are that family that will just break into song at a moments notice. Anywhere and anytime.

I am to not be ashamed to praise God wherever I am. I never want my children see me stop singing or praising God simply because I am afraid what others will think of me. I know sometimes that it bothers my children when I sing in public or read my Bible while in a coffee shop or have conversations about God with others in public. I want them to see this though. I want them to know that proclaiming Christ is more important than what anyone else thinks about me. It is okay to talk about God and we should do it every day.

"Abound"
The last thing that I discovered in this passage was my very first “abundance” passage.

I got to the end of the passage and wrote “abound in hope.” I almost skipped over it and then was like, “wait a minute.” Abound and abundance are basically the same thing.

I went back and studied that last verse again and found a wealth of information.

Here is what I wrote in my journal.

“Abound in Hope

I had written a few days ago that I wanted to start studying all the things that God tells us to abound in or have abundance of. I found my first today. Or may I say, God led me to it this morning.

Abound – “a thing comes in abundance, or overflows, unto one; something falls to the lot of one in large measure.  Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

Hope – “expectation of good – joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

My life is to be filled with joy and peace because I am overfilled with hope at the very thought of salvation and spending eternity with God.”

So much in that small passage.

Joy and Peace

Power of the Holy Spirit

Abundance

Hope

If that was the only passage I found this year that talked of abundance, it would be enough. I want my life to be filled with all these things. I want to experience more of the power of the Holy Spirit in my life filling me with joy and peace so that I do experience an abundance of HOPE.

I want to live my life with the joy that comes from knowing that I am secure in my relationship with Christ.

That this earth is not my home.

That my home is with Christ.

That my salvation is in Him alone.

HOPE.

That is what I want an abundance of this year.

Hope.

A photo bomb picture from yesterday. My mom was trying to take a picture of just Carl and I. It did not work.