If Jesus is our food, our drink, and our rest… we might as well say He is our life. This is exactly what Paul concluded as he encouraged believers: “Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Col. 3:2-4
We must remember that Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit and the more we rely on him, walk in him, and live in him, the more we understand that Jesus is truly our life. When King David confronted his own sin and cried out to God for mercy, he pleaded, “Take not your Holy Spirit from me!” The child of God has no life without God’s Spirit, so daily we should thank him and enjoy the fellowship He provides for those He loves.
This ‘abundant life’ Jesus gives is also experienced in his Body. Without my family and brothers and sisters in Christ, I have no life. God created us to walk in community with his children. I am overwhelmed when I think about the love poured out to my family over the past several years. I praise God for the Body of Christ.
Some have asked about my health lately. It has been two years since the last stem cell transplant, so at the first of August Emory put me through all the tests. My blood came back clean, but there were concerns about my bone marrow. At the end of August, I was given a PET SCAN and everything came back good. The doctor wants to do more tests in sixty days, so until then we’ll just not think about it. Our greater present concern is for our youngest daughter, Karlyn. This past Saturday, on her eighteenth birthday, we discovered she has diabetes. Susan was diagnosed at age twenty-six when she was pregnant with Taylor, so we know quite a bit about the disease. Yesterday we spent a lot of time with the doctor that has worked with Susan for over twenty-five years. Karlyn has a great attitude, and though she hates needles, she is bravely facing a new challenge. We appreciate your prayers and love more than I can express.
The ‘life’ Jesus gives is sometimes understood more plainly in the face of difficulty. We know God is with us and have already experienced his peace and protection in many practical ways. May God give us all grace to keep our hearts and minds on things above.
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:9-10