Life in Christ
- Samuel Kumar
 
A New Year and a new decade have arrived. How can we have a richer and a more abundant life this year of 2010 than the years past? We need to search the Scriptures for the answer. My heartfelt desire is to have a closer walk with my Lord and to attain a higher ground this year than before. The Lord Jesus said that He came that we might have “life and that more abundantly.”(John 10:10) He alone can give us a vibrant life which we can tap from the “unsearchable riches of Christ.” (Eph. 3:8)
 
A woman with an incurable bleeding disorder determined to make her way through the crowds and touch the border of the garment of our Lord Jesus. She touched Him and immediately she was healed. The Lord Jesus asked, “Who touched Me?” He had felt that the healing virtue had gone out from Him. The woman confessed what she had done and the Lord commended her for her faith. (Luke 8:43-48) She received a piece of the Lord Jesus! She tapped His power and her life was changed forever. Can we get a piece of the Lord Jesus and be enriched beyond measure? The Lord wants us to reach out and touch Him. When we harness His life, we will never be the same again. I would like to mention three facets from the life of our precious Lord that I would like to draw upon this year. May the Lord grant that wish.
 
His Peace:
The Lord said, “ Peace I leave with you. MY PEACE I give unto you. Not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27) In this chaotic world, we desperately need peace. The Lord did not promise any type of peace but He promised His own peace! The world cannot give us true peace but the Lord, the Prince of PEACE, alone can give us such peace. We cannot have true peace, tranquility and serenity naturally. It can only come supernaturally. The peace of God that “passes all understanding” cannot be taken away. It cannot be understood or explained by others or even the recipients. Let us not be satisfied with any peace other than His peace. There may be storms, there may be trials, there may be uncertain circumstances but my Lord Who said, “Peace, Be still!” in a storm, is still able to calm the storms of life today. The storms in our hearts are some times worse than the storms outside. Let us plead with Him for His peace that will impart inner strength. The Word says, “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)
 
His Joy:
The Lord Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you that MY JOY might remain in you and that your joy may be full.” I need nothing short of His joy. The Lord was a man of sorrows but He was also a man of joy. He rejoiced in His Spirit. Despite all the adverse circumstances He faced, He had joy. We desperately need His joy. The apostle Peter refers to it as “joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (1 Peter 1:8) Such joy is inexpressible and indescribable and it is filled with supernatural and divine glory. It is not a passing sentiment of this world but it abides because it has its origin in the Lord Jesus. There may be tears of grief, sighs of sorrow and heaviness of heart in this world but the Lord’s words bring us His joy. It is no ordinary joy but His own joy, a fullness of joy that defies explanation. I want that joy in abundant measure and I know it is His promise to those who seek it. The Word says, “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4) The weeping people were told in Nehemiah 8:10, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” 
 
His Grace:
The apostle Paul was affected by “a thorn in His flesh” and he pleaded three times that it be removed but the Lord Jesus said to him, “MY GRACE is sufficient for thee, for My STRENGTH is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9) Notice the words, “MY GRACE, MY STRENGTH.” His grace is a potent force and it can swallow up any weakness or handicap. Grace is not a vague element but it is a great power coming directly from Him. It is a mighty force against which no power of Satan, no human weakness, no circumstance of this life can stand! He infuses His grace into us and it overcomes, conquers, and overrules all the handicaps and difficulties in our lives. It is like potent medicine. We cannot fully explain its composition or properties or how exactly it acts but it produces results! I need such medicine. I need His grace on a daily basis. Dear reader, do you have a thorn in the flesh? Whatever it may be, if He chooses not to remove it, His grace, which is stronger than the greatest impediment you may have, will plant a flag of victory over any weakness or handicap you are acutely aware of. His grace would be far more powerful than if the thorn had been removed. We need the mighty power of His grace, which gives us His strength and melts away our weakness.   We will then be able to say with the apostle Paul, “When I am weak, then am I strong!” (2 Cor. 9:10)
 
Let us spend much time with our Lord this year and get a piece of His life on a daily basis. Let His PEACE, His JOY and His GRACE flood our hearts and enrich our lives.