I’ve been thinking about how blessed I am by my loving Father through my Lord Jesus Christ. I have a wonderful Mom [in her 100th year], a beautiful and spiritually uplifting wife, a son who loves us and prays for us, our daughter-in-law who is an answer to prayer, two amazing grandchildren who are unique and a joy to behold, my brothers and sisters and their families, Christian friends and co-workers, and a positive relationship with myself.
Notice that I didn’t mention much about wealth or fame or worldly acclaim. I really don’t care. God supplies my need each day [Philippians 4:19], and I praise Him for His goodness to me in Christ where I have my TRUE RICHES. [Read Ephesians 1:1 to 3:21 to get a sampling!].
Sadly, I have known family members and others who have died at a young age. That is not God’s will. He doesn’t “call people home” when He wants them. There is a Devil who steals, kills, and destroys [John 10:10a]. But Jesus Christ came to give us long and beautifully blessed lives with our Father [John 10:10b]. Let’s see what God says about living long and fruitful lives, and look at a few examples of great believers. My prayer for you is that you and those you love have length of days in the Lord.
How to Have a Long and Blessed Life
Psalms 42:8:
Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the GOD OF MY LIFE.
Jesus made known God as our Father. Our Father is the God of our life! He blesses us with His loving kindness throughout each day, and He causes our hearts to sing for joy in the night. What a blessing to be able to talk with and pray to Him.
Psalms 91:16:
With LONG LIFE will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
This was a promise to the Messiah. The Devil even quoted part of this Psalm to try and trick Jesus. But the Devil WAS accurate in saying this psalm was about the Christ. Jesus only lived about 30 years on earth. But he now lives ETERNALLY! God keeps His promises of long life. And it is in Jesus that we will live a long and blessed life until he comes back for us.
Proverbs 3:2,13,16:
For LENGTH OF DAYS, and LONG LIFE, and peace, shall they [God’s commandments] add to thee.
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
LENGTH OF DAYS is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
God had Proverbs written to help young people learn how to live a long and blessed life. The first thing is to know and live God’s commandments. It is God’s wisdom that gives us the understanding we need to accept His grace and live full and honorable lives. Notice that God promises both “length of days” and a “long life.” These may mean the same thing, or perhaps each day will be long and full of fellowship with the Father, and that will last for many years! Both “length” in our days and a “long” life.
Proverbs 10:27:
The fear [respect] of the LORD PROLONGETH DAYS: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
Our respect for God allows Him to bless us. The wicked reject God’s kind support and have their lives shortened by the Devil, our adversary.
Proverbs 22:4:
By humility and the fear [respect] of the LORD are riches, and honour, and LIFE.
We must humbly seek God through our Lord Jesus. Our respect and trust allow Him to give us rich, honorable, and long lives.
Psalms 34:12-14:
What man is he that desireth LIFE, and loveth MANY DAYS, that he may see good?
Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Here is more practical advice on living many days. Our words and deeds are so important. Romans 5:1 says, “we HAVE peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We can “pursue” that peace practically when keep good thoughts in our minds. Then we can speak and live them.
Examples of God Giving Long Life
Now let’s see a few people who lived long, blessed lives because they trusted God.
Genesis 25:8:
Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a GOOD OLD AGE, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.
Abraham believed that God would bring to pass what He promised. He saw his elderly wife, Sarah, give birth to their son, Isaac. Both he and Sarah lived to a “good old age,” blessed by God.
Genesis 35:29:
And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and FULL OF DAYS: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Isaac was also “full of days” when he died. The phrase “gave up the ghost” means that he breathed his last breath. Abraham and Isaac believed on the coming Messiah and will be raised in the resurrection of the just.
Deuteronomy 34:7:
And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his EYE was NOT DIM, nor his natural force abated.
Even though Moses died, he was still in “pretty good shape.” He still had mental focus and his “natural force.” That reminds me of my mom. She is 20 years younger than Moses was when he died, and she is still mentally sharp and loves life.
Judges 8:32:
And Gideon the son of Joash died in a GOOD OLD AGE, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Gideon trusted God to defeat the Midianites and temporarily unite some of the children of Israel. His time walking with God helped him to live many years.
Job 42:10,17:
And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
So Job died, BEING OLD AND FULL OF DAYS.
Job never gave up, even when Satan attacked him and his family. He trusted that God would deliver him from evil. Job died twice as rich and blessed with twice as many children as he had before Satan’s attacks. God will turn “lemons into lemonade.”
2 Samuel 7:12:
And when thy DAYS BE FULFILLED, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
God promised David, through the prophet Nathan, that he would fulfill his days. David would live a long life and pass on the kingdom to his son. Later, the Messiah [son of David] would fully carry out this prophecy.
1 Chronicles 29:28:
And he [David] died in a GOOD OLD AGE, full of days, riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.
David lived a full and honorable life because he had respect for the Lord his God. He also set up his son, Solomon, for success.
John 10:18:
No man taketh it from me [Jesus], but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Jesus only died because he was doing the Father’s will. God gave him the authority [and responsibility] to lay down his life for us. But Jesus also knew that his Father would raise him from death unto eternal life. He had authority to “take” back his life and now is Lord over all creation.
John 19:30:
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, IT IS FINISHED: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Did Jesus life a “full life”? Yes, he did. He did everything that the Father wanted him to do. It was “finished.” Even though relatively short on earth, God’s Son now has eternal life.
Psalms 21:1,4:
The king [Messiah] shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even LENGTH OF DAYS for ever and ever.
Here is another prophecy about Jesus’ life. God gave Jesus length of days “for ever and ever.” Now, we share in the life of Jesus.
A Long and Blessed Life for You
Romans 5:21:
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto ETERNAL LIFE BY JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.
When we confess Jesus as our risen Lord [Romans 10:9], we receive eternal life and are filled with God’s spirit. This “spirit of Christ” is only a token, a foretaste, of the new bodies that we will receive at Christ’s return [Ephesians 1:4; Philippians 3:21]. When will this glorious change happen?
1 Corinthians 15:20,23:
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
Christ is the only one now permanently raised from death. Those who “sleep in” him and we, if are alive when he returns, will be raised “at this coming.” Today there is no one “in heaven” except Jesus Christ who is Lord at the Father’s right hand. But the days is coming when Christ will come back for us!
1 Thessalonians 4:16,17:
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST:
Then WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:52 says this will happen “in the twinkling of an eye…and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” In a micro-nano-nano second, we will be gathered with Christ to “ever be with the Lord.” That will be the longest life available!
Let’s rejoice this day in all God’s blessings, and do our best to live long days full of fellowship with Him and His Son for many years to come!
