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"BOUND TO ABOUND:" "But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God." (Philippians 4:18)When reading those first six words from that verse, "But I have all, and abound," we may be inclined to think that they were written by someone who was living the life of the rich and famous on Easy Street. Surely this must be the testimony of someone who never had to wonder about where their next meal was coming from. If we didn't know any better, the person making this statement was dining high on the hog and in the lap of luxury. But we do know better, don't we?These are the words of Paul, the preacher of redemption, the proponent of righteousness, and the proclaimer of rejoicing. Again and again, we find those words joy and rejoice in the Book of Philippians. It was written to be our constant reminder that we too can be people of joy when facing trouble.But lest we forget, these are also the words of Paul, the prisoner of Rome. Visualize him now as he lays there confined, chained, and condemned by the Supreme Court of his day. Hear him with the joy of the Lord while facing dire circumstances, "But I have all and abound:"None of us are strangers to trials and tribulations. Even the best of days can be followed by the worst of times. Face it, folks, when it comes to having problems and difficulties, all of us, in some form or fashion, are riding along on that same old bumpy Highway of Hardships that's lined with Hell's potholes and pitfalls.Did Paul lay around on that filthy prison floor fretting about what the government had waiting around the corner for him? Did he cry out, "This isn't fair!" Did he demand his rights? Not on your life! That old Gospel proclaiming warrior for Jesus Christ wrapped himself up in that robe of God's promises, made a withdraw from his savings book of faith, and with that upward look declared the richness of rejoicing by saying, "But I have all, and abound:"Friends, as long as we have life in our lungs, the devil's taunts and temptations will follow us around like a hungry unfed cat. When they come calling, we have two choices: we can either look around in fear, or we can look up in faith and abound. For God's grace for you is 'BOUND to ABOUND.'