“for this is your life and the length of your days”
An important place to begin is by listening to the spiritual melody “I Choose Jesus” by MORIAH. Please pause to listen.
God Himself instructed His servant Moses to write the following words—
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today,
that I have set before you
- life and death,
- the blessing and the curse.
So choose life
in order that you may live,
you and your descendants,
- by loving the LORD your God,
- by obeying His voice, and
- by holding fast to Him;
for this is your life and the length of your days,
that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers,
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
to give them.”
(Deuteronomy 30: 19-20 NASB)
A promise—Well, It is a Promise!
Inside the Book of Life, the Scriptures, the Word of God, God’s Holy Word—the Bible—we find the multitude of God’s Promises.
Our part: We only need to believe to receive. It is conditional.
- If we believe, then God will give us life eternal.
- If we accept the truth of God, then God will save us.
- If we confess Jesus as Lord and confess our sins against God, then God will redeem us.
- If we hold fast to our faith, then we will be presented before God “holy and blameless and beyond reproach—”
It is a Promise of God.
God Promised & God Continues to Promise!
“And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death,
in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—
- if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast,
- and [if] not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard,
which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven,
and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”
(The Letter of Paul to the Colossians 1: 21-23 NASB)
However, one important truth that must be stated—Our Faith Does Not Affect God’s Faithfulness. That is Correct.
God is Always Faithful—
- despite our unfaithfulness,
- despite our unbelief &
- despite our sin.
Why do we sometimes skip a word when we write? The answer is really simple: Our brain is designed by our Creator to move much faster than our hands. This is also true for our tongue; it is also much faster in speaking than our hands are in writing or typing. Thus, when we speak, we do not miss words in our speaking, but when composing, we skip words. It is so easy for our hands to skip important words necessary within the written language. As an English instructor, I notice this daily within my student’s work.
For example—Please let me know if I have overlooked some other important benefits of growing older, and I have overlooked you, then you need to unfriend me right now. For I have not responded to your posts, then maybe our friendship is lacking.
Do we notice any ‘ifs’ missing, or did our brains supplement the words as we read the last example?
Revised—Please let me know if I have overlooked some other important benefits of growing older, and if I have overlooked you, then you need to unfriend me right now. For if I have not responded to your posts, then maybe our friendship is lacking.
If we desire life,
&
If we desire length of our days,
Then we must—
- “continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, . . .”
- “not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, . . .”
So in closing, the Bible proclaims, as we search for God Promises—if our faith remains steadfast—then we discover a beautiful life forevermore. Please pause to read a Psalm of encouragement.
“The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
(The Psalms 16: 5-11 NASB)
You support my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
I will bless the LORD who has counseled me;
Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.
I have set the LORD continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One [the Savior Jesus Christ] to undergo decay.
You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”