Henry David Thoreau is often noted for his statement that most men "live lives of quiet desperation." In an attempt to avoid that kind of existence, he lived alone from 1845 to 1847 in the woods of Walden Pond, Massachusetts. In 1854, he published his experiences in the book Walden. He wrote, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Thoreau was right in his belief that we can die without really living. But centuries earlier, the apostle Paul told us how to avoid this. He discovered that the abundant life begins only when we turn from our own accomplishments and rely on what Christ did for us on the cross (Philippians 3:7-9). Yet Paul didn't stop there. He wanted to experience as much of Christ as he possibly could, longing to know Him in a deeply personal way (v.10). Paul also wanted to fulfill the purpose for which Christ had saved him (vv.12-14).

Jesus said that He came to give us an abundant life (John 10:10). And when we know His mind, feel His heart, and experience the power of His resurrection, we will truly live before we die.  —MRD II  — Mart De Haan