Life in Abundance
Today’s scripture selection: Psalms 30-32
Key verse: Psalm 31:19
“How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.”
Plentiful – copious – rich – profuse – these are the words my Thesaurus suggests as synonyms for the word abundant.
But, while accurate, I’m still not sure that these words can fully convey the attitude of the Psalmist when he writes about it. Abundant living, for the person of faith, is so much more than having a fat bank account or a secure job.
It goes deeper than that. It’s about waking up every morning with the assurance that the Creator of the Universe is watching over you. It touches on the idea that, even when you don’t know what your next steps are to be, you know you walk with the One who is omniscient and omnipresent.
Big theological words for sure – the kind you need a Thesaurus for – but it all boils down to this. You are never alone.
The stock market goes up and down; your IRA might look a little thin these days; pink slips and job changes come and go; and retirement? Retirement is just wishful thinking for a lot of people.
But God doesn’t change, nor does His love for you.
So dare to live abundantly. Dare to step out in faith. Know that while your days may not always be easy, they are not lived out in obscurity or insecurity.
Because ultimately – there is no greater security than being a child of God.
Prayer: Lord, help me to rest in the abundance of your love. AMEN.
By Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
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