The Life of God

 

If you are reading this, you must have life. It allows you to breathe, think, and act. It is a gift from God, for God is life. Ephesians 4:18 speaks of the “life of God” that we can walk in. The way to this life with God as our Father is through His Son, Jesus Christ.

John 14:6:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Not only do we have life now in Christ, but also the promise of eternity with the Father through him.

I John 5:11:
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

God’s Life in the Psalms

God promised David that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come from his family line. David lived his life and trusted God to preserve his life, knowing that God would keep this amazing promise to him.

Psalms 16:8-11:
I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

David joyfully anticipated the coming of his descendent, Jesus Christ. He knew that the Messiah would bring eternal life.

Psalms 21:1,2,4:
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.

Psalms 23:1,3,4,6:
A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

More than any other person, Jesus Christ allowed God to lead him “in the paths of righteousness” as he walked “through the valley of the shadow of death.” He knew that his Father would help him overcome the Devil and his evil spirits to conquer death.  Because of Jesus Christ’s righteous acts, we can dwell with God, our Father, now and throughout eternity.

A Fearless Life

Psalms 27:1,4,13:
A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

David overcame his fear because God was his light and salvation; David knew he could live with the Lord all the days of his life. Even when pursued by King Saul, David believed to stay alive and do God’s will. He knew that God was the strength of his life and the source of goodness.

Psalms 31:1,13-15:
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.
My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

Life wasn’t always easy for David, but he put his trust in the Lord, and God faithfully delivered him from all of the adversary’s attacks. Jesus Christ so often read these psalms of his ancestor David and took courage from them. He knew that, like David, “My times are in thy [God’s] hand.” We can say the same today, for we have Christ in us.

Psalms 34:1,12,19,20:
A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

Jesus Christ read and understood this prophecy that none of his bones would be broken. By his dying at the right time, it was fulfilled at his crucifixion (John 19:33).

Psalms 36:9:
For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

A Long Life with God

Both David and Jesus Christ knew that God was the source of all life. Jesus Christ always did the will of the Father and walked in the light of God’s loving Word.

Psalms 61:6-8:
Thou wilt prolong the king’s life: and his years as many generations.
He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.
So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

David knew that God would prolong his life, that he would “abide before God for ever.” He had the hope of the coming Messiah. Even when pursued in the dry and thirsty wilderness of Judah, David enjoyed fellowship with the Lord, his God. To David, God’s lovingkindness was better than life itself.

Psalms 63:1-4:
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

God preserved David’s life, keeping his soul and not allowing his feet to be moved.

Psalms 64:1:
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Psalms 66:9:
Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.

Psalms 91:10-16:
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Satan quoted verses 10 and 11 out of context when Jesus Christ was in the wilderness (Matthew 4:6; Luke 4:10). Yet Jesus Christ did not respond to this trick of the adversary. He had read Psalm 91 and knew that with God’s help he could trample under feet the Devil. Jesus Christ knew that God would raise him from the dead, set him on high at God’s right hand, and honor him as lord with a name above every name (Philippians 2:9-11). And he knew that God would satisfy him with “long life,” salvation and eternal life.

Psalms 103:1-4:
A Psalm of David.
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies.

David blessed the Lord with all that was within him and remembered God’s benefits to him. The Lord forgives, heals, and redeems our lives from the destruction that the Devil wishes for us to have. Jesus Christ read Psalm 103 and knew that, like David, God would redeem his life from destruction. Today, we can rest assured that we have eternal life through Jesus Christ. Despite the world’s attacks, we can trust in our loving Father to redeem our lives and crown us with His lovingkindness and tender mercies.