The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – John 10:10 (day seven) 

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 

“Living your best life” is a phrase our household has adopted to describe someone who is living carefree and thoroughly enjoying themself. For instance in the picture below, we would say “Brock is living his best life!”

Jesus came so that we can live our best life.  Through Christ we are provided an opportunity to have a life that we never could on our own: a life of encouragement, not shame. A life of comfort, not worry. A life of peace, not fear. He can provide all those things and so much more.

This week I will be living my best life. I will have 120 teenagers from our church at Impact Youth Camp. Will you pray with me for them? Will you pray that God will bring them encouragement, comfort, and peace? Will you pray that students will walk away from the things that are stealing their life and walk with Jesus? Will you pray that our students will see that living their best life is to realize that we are made in the Image of God?

Re:Verse passage – John 10:10 (day six)

³ So Jesus told them this story: ⁴ “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? Luke  15:3-4

The thief will do whatever it takes to keep you alone. That’s the strategy: isolation. Being made in God’s image, we were designed for fellowship with God and others, so it makes sense that the enemy would scheme to lure us away. He successfully convinces us that we don’t need anyone or have time for them, especially God. He does this subtly, of course; never out in the open. He will whisper things like,

“Listen to your heart.”

“You do you.”

“The Bible is so difficult to understand, plus where would you include it in your life? You are too busy.”

Some of his whispers almost sound noble and lofty, and most result in positioning ourselves over others rather than with others.

The thief’s deepest desire is to keep us alone, but abundant life is found under the care and provision of the shepherd, who leads you to green pasture along with other sheep. You can’t get there on your own.

Re:Verse passage – John 10:10 (day five) Another “Coffee Cup Verse” this week. Most Christians have memorized this verse at some point in their lives. We use it and quote it often. What struck me this week were the mission and purposes of the thief and of Jesus. Both have them. As much as we count on Jesus to save us and give abundant life, we can count on the thief to steal, kill, and destroy. Feel the tension and conflict in this verse?  Do you see the battle taking place over the sheep?  Yet, Jesus describes the ability of the thief- “only”. And He also describes His capability- “abundant”. Now, the struggle doesn’t seem even or balanced anymore does it? The abundant life consists of eternal things like salvation, joy, hope, love, strength, courage!!  What a really, really “Good Shepherd”!

Re:Verse passage – John 10:10 (day four)

Jesus gives this invitation into abundant life in the middle of a parable. In this parable, he identifies himself as the Good Shepherd. He is the only shepherd who knows his sheep by name, the only one who goes looking for the sheep that is lost, the only one who will lay his life down for the sheep. Only through him can the sheep go out and find pasture. When he uses this language to describe himself, he not only shows how intimately he loves his people, but he also reveals his divine nature.

When Jesus calls himself the Shepherd who offers abundant life, he identifies himself with God the Father. In Genesis, Jacob states that Yahweh is his lifelong shepherd. David calls God his shepherd in Psalm 23. In Ezekiel 34 God proclaims himself to be Israel’s shepherd. Jesus’ words in John 10 reveal his identity as the Son of God, the flesh-and-bone shepherd of the people of God.

So, in the context of God the Shepherd, what does abundant life look like? It looks like living without fear of thieves and wolves, it looks like fresh green pastures and peaceful quiet waters, it looks like restoration and righteousness, perpetual goodness and lovingkindness. Abundance of joy, abundance of peace, abundance of love. Sounds a lot like Revelation 21-22, doesn’t it?

Re:Verse passage – John 10:10 (day three)

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Thievery occurs when there is shortage, and shortage occurs when people are attempting to gain power over one another, and power grabs occur when people are insecure about their existence. There is no thievery in a way of life in which people are counting on God, because there is no insecurity. Jesus lived with complete confidence in God, and he teaches you his way of life so that you can do the same. A life in the way of Jesus is a life in which there is no shortage because there is complete security. That reality gets muddled by so much heartbreak – cruelty, abuse, trauma, etc. – and those feeling the weight of that distress need tenderness from the church.

Re:Verse passage – John 10:10 (day two) 

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 

Abundant life sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Rich, full lives is what each of us desire at some level, and although the definition will likely differ for each person, we want some measure of abundance. As we study this oft quoted verse, we should remember that an abundant life is not simply the absence of the ‘thief’, but more importantly the presence of Jesus. His nearness is fullness. To know him should color what it means to be full. If we long after him in all things, it should change what we mean by abundance. May each of us seek to be in the presence of Jesus today.

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–27 (day seven)

male and female He created them. vs 27b

God created both male and female in His image. The complexity of our God could not be contained in one human life form, which is the most complex life form in the universe, so He created two similar albeit different life forms that would function cohesively in order to give a more accurate representation to who He is. God created male and female each uniquely different so that we realize we are better together (throwback to Summer of 2022).

It is not by some accident or evolution that male and female are so different from each other. God created us for relationships. Not just on the physical or romantic level, but in all areas of our life. We were not designed to live this life alone.  Being created in the Image of God, Imago Dei, means that we were created to know God more intimately through being together. Marriage, friendships, and community all show us that our unique differences are what truly makes us more like God.

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–27 (day six)

“…the scriptural witness to creation is from the first line more like a drama, the beginning of the acts of God, the first of many mighty deeds, upon which hinges both life’s current meaning and the eternal destinies of participants.” -Thomas Oden, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1

Being uniquely made in God’s image, humanity finds itself center stage in God’s mighty acts. In this divine relationship, we are far more than observers or oblivious participants; in fact, we are partakers, ambassadors, and emissaries; we are little idols (“image” is the same word translated as “idol”). We work and speak with the strength and wisdom God supplies (1 Peter 4:11) for the good of others.

This gives new meaning to God’s prohibition of making graven images of his likeness. He prohibits fashioning idols because we are to be his unique image bearers in creation.

Is there any more significant meaning in life?

 

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–27 (day five)  I read a question this week that was deeply convicting and challenging to me. It changed my perspective on this passage from merely the awareness and understanding of the truth of being created in God’s image to being accountable to this truth and all the implications it presents to us/me. So here it is … “Do you feel that you are like God in the way that you should be?”

One of the truths I discovered this week, is that when we love God most, we love others best. We are created like God in that way. He loves Himself most and He loves others best. We are created and designed in His image, to love and act this same way. Jesus echos this truth in our theme this year of “Love Your Neighbor”. What precedes this second greatest commandment, is the command to love God first/most. Our capacity to love others best, comes from our ability and willingness to love God most. Loving Your Neighbor then becomes a glorifying image and reflection of the nature and character of God!!