There\u2019s a gap in our understanding of one of the Bible\u2019s most important passages to believers. God promises, even over-promises, abundant life far above and beyond what we can even imagine. The problem is that we\u2019re down here saying to ourselves, \u201cOh, I\u2019m not experiencing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
We keep going to church and hearing their encouragement, \u201cThis is the year of overcoming\u201d or \u201cThis is the year of prospering.\u201d We start out thinking, Okay, God. Maybe this year is the one where I\u2019ll see your promise of abundance. By the end of the year, though, it hasn\u2019t been a year of breakthrough or flourishing. Maybe it\u2019s been harder than the year before. We\u2019re left confused, discouraged or even angry. There seems to be this gap between God\u2019s promise of abundance and our reality.<\/p>\n
In order to really understand God\u2019s abundant life, we need to go to another set of promises that Jesus made to his disciples. \u201cBehold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world\u201d (John 16:32-33, ESV)<\/em>. The Son of God promises you that you will have tribulations in this world. If you think that abundant life means trouble-free, pain-free life, you\u2019re setting yourself up for disappointment.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s promise of abundant life from God was \u201cI\u2019m leaving five enemy nations in your land to test you\u201d (see Judges 3:1-6). The word \u2018test\u2019 here means something closer to a contest like a boxing match. God was setting up opponents for Israel so he could show them how to fight and that he was going to make them victorious, if they trusted and followed him.<\/p>\n A lot of us don\u2019t expect trouble in life. When it comes, we get discouraged and withdraw. We think abundant life means no need to fight.<\/p>\n Abundant life actually means getting into the arena. It means getting scarred up in the fight because we know that Christ won the war. This doesn\u2019t mean we don\u2019t have to fight in the battles; we must engage.<\/p>\n