The Great Adventure
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to kill, and steal, and destroy; I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly.”
In 1988 I was living the high life as a high school junior. I started on the football team; I had a lot of friends. I was on top of my teenage world. When the Junior/Senior Prom came around though I suddenly found myself dateless because my girlfriend and I broke up right before the big dance, but I quickly found another girl to go with; and everything came back together. At least until I started home from a party after the Prom. Well, I ran off the road, and had a very bad wreck. To make a long story short I nearly died; I spent 2 months in a coma, and many more months going through intensive therapy. After my wreck, I thought my life was over, but God had other plans. If you would be interested in reading my testimony then click on this link –Yes, You Can– It is a great story about the grace of God, and how anyone can find their great adventure.
Jesus Christ never promised to keep us away from danger. In what I, and many others, consider to be the real Lord’s prayer in John 17 Jesus did not ask the Father to remove us from the danger, but to be with us, keep us safe, in the danger.
I think about the life of Paul. He was a great missionary for God, and Paul is a perfect example of someone living the abundant life that Jesus promised. Paul was raised his entire life to become a leader in the synagogues. I’m sure he never expected, and he probably had no desire to ever leave Israel. He would have been perfectly content in Jerusalem as a leader in the synagogues’, but God had a different plan for Paul’s life. One day as Paul was going to Damascus the Lord appeared to Paul, and after the Lord came to Paul his life was changed. Now Paul, this homeboy from Jerusalem, was no longer content to stay in Jerusalem, but he traveled the entire world spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The majority of the time Paul was either in prison, in bondage(Under arrest) or he was running from the Roman government, but despite all of this I believe that Paul was having the time of his life. He truly was living the abundant life; he was on a great adventure. Listen to the words of Paul to the Roman church, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”-Romans 8:18, and again he wrote to the church at Corinth, “Therefore, we do not lose heart…For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison – II Corinthians 4:16-17 Halelujah, Paul understood that his troubles whatever they may have been were not worthy to even be thought about because he understood that these problems that he was going through were bringing him into a closer fellowship with God, and it is only when we get close to Him that we can share in Jesus’ abundant life, live the great adventure.
I have a young friend that is currently living the great adventure in Mali, West Africa. She is a missionary there in a village that she has named GVegas. She writes reports on her blog, and gives updates of what they are doing on the mission field. If you would like to read her blog, and see what God is doing in Mali follow this link – Resolving… I’m sure that she would enjoy a note of encouragement from you, and to hear that you are praying for her.
Going to Africa or some exotic land is a great way to find a great adventure, but there are also many adventures right in your neighborhood. To get involved in your own great adventure just find out where God is at work, and meet Him there! I guarantee you that you will have the time of your life!
Father, I thank You for giving me Your Son, Jesus Christ, and through Him giving me the privilege to join You on a great adventure. I ask that You would give me the courage to follow Jesus into the abundant life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The above image can be found at:
http://www.leehansen.com/clipart/Themes/Pirates/pages/pirate-map.htm
Yes, You Can Ministry 