Wagon Tracks...

Good morning!  This morning I'm sitting in my recliner, enjoying a cup of coffee and studying God's Abundance...  

"They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from the River of Your delights," (Psalm 36:8)  

I've decided that today - all this week - I'm going to think about Abundance.  Our days can be so riddled with negativity and the demands of mundane life that our minds, hearts, and attitudes NEED us to focus on all the GOOD the Lord has done!  The Bible even tells us to be purposeful about thinking on good, positive, lovely things (Philippians 4:8).  What's more lovely than Abundance?  

There's SO much good stuff in the Bible about God's Abundance.. 

• Jeremiah 31:14 - "I will fill the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people will be satisfied with My goodness," declares the LORD."
  
  
• Psalm 63:5 - "My soul [my life, my very self] is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth offers praises [to You] with joyful lips." 
  
  
• 1 Cor 2:9 - "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him."
  
  
• Ephesians 3:20-21 - "Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen."

... but this verse on Abundance stood out to me this morning and I thought I'd share... 

"You crown the year with Your Bounty; Your wagon tracks overflow with Abundance," (Psalm 65:11). 

I love this picture of Blessing in Motion.  I am a firm believer in #doing, (though I'm not always that great at being consistent).  I fully believe we are saved by grace through faith alone, not of works. At. All.  However, I also fully believe that because of the life of Christ in us, we are His workmanship, created to do His good works (Ephesians 2:10)!  He prepared us for good works and He has set us in authority over the works of His hands (Hebrews 2:7).  This Christ life gives us PURPOSE like we never dreamed possible... and it's easier than we think!! 

Step One is always... and will ALWAYS be... to get your wagon FULL.  

The Bible, in John 15, talks about abiding in the vine.  It says that the Father, through Christ, is the Vine and we are the Branches.  If we will abide, or remain, in Him, there will be NOTHING that we cannot do... NOTHING that we cannot ask for according to His will that HE will not give us.  That's where it all begins.  

I'm convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if we are living defeated lives, it's because we don't know the truth and power of God's love.  If we really knew WHO it was that saved us... and WHAT His heart really holds for us... and HOW He is able to strengthen us, empower us, and lift all our burdens... it would change our lives completely.  

This is what I mean by filling your wagon.  It's in seeking to know God more by studying His Word... it's in searching for a place of real intimacy between you and God through prayer and just laying it all out on the table... it's in finding that place where you believe 1) Jesus died for you, 2) God loves you... just as you are, and 3) you're forgiven... completely... for everything.  

You have been made perfect... holy.  You are God's own special treasure... priceless.  And you did nothing to earn it.  Believing that... having faith in it.  That's abiding.  That's filling your wagon.  And it feels AMAZING.  Even if you're not there yet, the simple desire to be there mixed with a little bit of faith will start getting the job done!  

Step Two... Get Your Wagon MOVING!!    

We have been saved by grace, through faith, and not of works.  Nothing in the least that we can do in our own strength will save us.  That's the truth.  

But we were created to DO GOOD WORKS.  We have been given authority over the very works of God's own hands!  We were given PURPOSE, but WE have to get moving.  

The Bible says that the thief has come to kill, to steal, and to destroy (John 10:10).  And in today's American church, I think the greatest thief in our time is passivity.  It comes in all shapes and forms, and is sometimes hard to discern, but passivity in itself will kill, steal, and destroy ALL God has set aside for us to do.  

Passivity can refer to a lack of courage, lack of confidence, and lack of persistence to accomplish what God has called us to do. Passivity is also inactivity, being subdued in attitude, not responding to a word or action that was received. Passivity also refers to the inability to resist evil. It refers to being dull and without energy, emotionless and inexpressive. The apostle Paul told Timothy that God did not give him the spirit of fear (passivity), but a spirit of power and love and a sound mind.

https://scripturenuggets.wordpress.com/tag/passivity/

Remember that there is Abundance in His Wagon Tracks.  If we get our wagons filled up so we know and dwell in the love of God, but then we do nothing with it to spread His love and sow it to others, all we have gained will rot and profit us nothing.  We will find ourselves dying on the vine!  But the Bible says that a man's gifts will make a way for him (Proverbs 18:6)!  It says, "give and it will be given to you" (Luke 6:38).  If we desire to reap in Abundance, we must sow in Abundance.  The branches that do not bear fruit by sowing and reaping will wither and will be cut off (John 15:2).  

We are saved by faith alone, but faith is not really faith if it is not accompanied by doing good on the Father's behalf and to please the Father's heart (James 2:14-26). 

Wagon Tracks... 

The greatest thing about all of this, is that the Bible tells us not to despise small beginnings (Zech 4:10)... (So much Hope in every Word the Father speaks!)  Even the simplest things count when we do them with a heart that seeks to please the Father... and if we decide today to start with small steps of obedience, our faith will increase with every step, and we will grow into even greater works than these...  

• Sometimes it's working in the church, or volunteering to help a friend in need.  
  
  
• Maybe it's baking cookies and knocking on a neighbor's door to offer prayer, a hug, or a friendly hello.  
  
  
• It could be writing letters with scriptures of encouragement to your pastors and fellow laborers, or making phone calls to pray and check on people.    
  
  
• Or maybe it's starting a Bible study, prayer group, or fellowship night...

The greatest thing that we don't often realize is that WE were CREATED to be a LIGHT in our world.  To see what negative things are going on and fight them with the Love of Christ.  To know that there are real people in our every day lives that we come into contact with... and we were placed in their lives for a reason.  WE may be the only JESUS someone sees today... 

His wagon tracks are filled with Abundance... 

If we are moving forward in Christ, we WILL be blessed!  If we do not grow weary in doing good, we WILL reap a Harvest (Galatians 6:9)!  If we get our FULL wagons moving, our wagon tracks WILL be filled with Abundance!  

Who Gets the Leftovers?

And let's not forget about those who come behind us... who is following us? Who is gleaning the leftovers from our harvest?  

I saw this amazing picture online that beautifully illustrated how those we lift up will lift us up in return. When our path overflows so much that it raises up others...we ourselves will be raised up, as well.  And not just in position, but in peace, in joy...whatever we sow, we will reap. 

I'm asking God today how I can sow into others, what He would have me to do, and how to get my wagon moving in the right direction. Will you join me?