Less or ful(l)…O LORD!

Less = a smaller amount; not as much; not so much; fewer; without; wanting

Ful(l) = holding as much/many as possible; having no empty space; straight; directly; complete; whole; replete; entire; total; completely

Genesis 28:3 (NIV) May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples.

Colossians 2:6-8 (NIV) Spiritual Fullness in Christ

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

John 1:14 (NIV) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV) Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Deuteronomy 4:31 (NIV) For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

Psalm 145:7 (NIV) (bountiful = abundant) They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV) And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Colossians 1:21-26 (NIV) (Faithful; full of hope)

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Paul’s Labor for the Church

24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people.

Romans 12:12 (NIV) Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Hebrews 12:22-29 (NIV) 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (VOICE) Jabez, whose name commemorates his mother’s labor pains, was more honorable than his brothers. 10 He asked the God of Israel, “Please bless me and extend my territory. Let Your hand be with me and guard me from harm so I will not experience pain as my mother did.” And God did just that.

Lord, guide me, remind me, teach me, Your Word, so that I chose wisely to live a FULL life:

Fruitless or fruitful

Thankless or thankful

Thoughtless or thoughtful

Graceless or graceful

Merciless or merciful

Bountiless or bountiful

Joyless or joyful

Powerless or powerful

Harmless or harmful….hummm.  To ourselves? Others? OR to the evil one???

Protect us from harm, and may we cause others no harm, O Lord, for Your hand is with us!

In Jesus name.  Amen