If this then that

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Live long and prosper”

Our Bible verse for today: “My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commands; for they will bring you many days, and a full life, and well-being.” Proverbs 3:1-2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “If this then that”

This will be our third month of considering ways in which we can live a full and rich life and live it abundantly, as Jesus proclaimed in John 10:10. These are all quality-of-life issues and in each case, the burden is on us as individuals to establish the personal disciplines in our lives and to maintain the proper attitude and perspective, so that we can have a full and rich life.

So far, we have considered the importance of approaching life with a light-hearted attitude that enables us to intentionally find joy and humor in daily living (the theme was “Lighten up a little”). Then we moved into the theme of “Just keep dancing”. It was based on Tim Hansel’s excellent little book “You gotta keep dancing”. It was all about persevering through the trials of life and doing so with a good attitude and positive expectations.

This month I unapologetically borrow that memorable phrase from everyone’s favorite Vulcan wiseman, Mr. Spock, “May you live long and prosper”. Isn’t that what we all want – to live long and to live well? As Christians we know we have the promise of heaven and we know it’s going to be great, but we also love living and we want to live long and well. It’s like Kenny Chesney once sang, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go now.” Instead, we want to stay here as long as we can, enjoying a high quality of life.

So, how do we do that? How do we live long in terms of longevity of years, and how do we fill those years with lots of good living? Well, there’s an app for that. It’s called the Bible and God has filled it with lots of instructions and guidance regarding how to live your best life. Now of course, not everyone lives long. God Himself numbers our days, and they have been determined since before we were even born (Psalm 139:16). But that doesn’t necessarily mean that God causes the number of our days, only that He knows the number of our days.

The causes behind the number of days of life are often determined by the choices the individual makes. We’re talking about lifestyle issues. We’re talking about making smart choices moment-by-moment and long-term as well, that create the conditions whereby we can potentially live long and live well. Proverbs 3:1-2 is just one of many verses in both the Old and New Testaments which setup an “if this, then that” scenario with respect to living long and well. “If you do this, then you will experience that.” They are general precepts which set the stage for the potential to have a long and full life – if you do your part.

Although there are circumstances that often result in a person living a short time rather than a long time (wars, accidents, criminal actions of others, etc.), it is still true that there are actions we can and should take that create the potential for living long and well. The burden is on us to do the things God has instructed us to do so that we can “live long and prosper.” I look forward to exploring this topic with you in the coming month.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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