A LONG AND SATISFYING LIFE
My friend was in surgery and was
starting to come out of the anesthesia when she hit a distinct point of
decision. She saw the male nurse walk across the room calling her name. At that
moment she knew that she had the choice to wake up or just let go. Then she
said to herself, “I’m not done yet. God has more for me to do.” And she made
herself wake up. In Psalm 91:16 God promises: “With long life will I
satisfy him and show him my salvation.
The word “satisfy” in this verse comes
from a Hebrew word meaning to be fulfilled, to have plenty, to be enriched. Who
doesn’t want that, right?
Where it says God will show us His
“salvation”, that comes from a Hebrew word which means His victory, His prosperity, His saving, health, and
welfare. God’s welfare plan is way better than any government plan.
The older we get the greater opportunities to experience more and more of God’s
magnificence: more revelation, more wisdom, more understanding.
As we age and
continue to faithfully seek the Lord, there are different levels of glory to
experience. Second Corinthians 3:18 tells us: “But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,
are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by
the Spirit of the Lord.”
“Glory” in this verse
means “splendor,
brightness and excellence.” Wow, what awesomeness to look forward to! More
splendor to see in the physical world God created, splendor in relationships,
accomplishments, ideas and so much more. What about the promise of being able
to be brighter?: Mentally? Emotionally? Physically?
Glory also means to
be more excellent. I think about the Biblical word “dunamis,” used in the New
Testament, which means excellence in our soul life, i.e. better decisions more
of the time, good moral values, controlling our emotions without even trying,
living a more Christ-like life. The word, dynamite, comes from this word
dunamis!
The word glory also
means dignity and honor. As we change from glory to glory, we become more
honorable and our self-view becomes more and more as the Lord sees us, rather
than how we may see ourselves at this point.
Glory also means
grace.
It’s interesting
that glory also means opinion, judgment, and view. That changes too. Our
opinions start to change to God’s opinions. We judge not according to politics
or peers but more in line with the Lord’s judgments or lack thereof. Also, our
view of things starts to switch from old views to new ones as the Lord leads us
to another level of glory.
And, of course,
glory also means kingly majesty and the personal excellence of Christ.
Honestly, who doesn’t need lots of years to develop into the Christ-like person
we desire to be, a majority of the time, not just sporadically, or when we try
really hard?
I want to live a long life so I can
experience all I possibly can of God’s glory to glory here on earth, like He
says we can.
People in certain church groups have
been taught that 70 or 80 years would be considered a good long life and they
base it on Psalm 90:10, which says: “The days of our years are threescore years
and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their
strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” But if
you’ll notice, this Psalm was written by Moses. It was regarding the Israelites
who disobeyed God and their lives were cut short in the wilderness. Since
people in our times have believed this was concerning them, they’ve missed out
on so much wisdom and great insight that comes with the ages beyond 70 to 80.
Genesis 6:3 tells us God’s will for
mankind’s lifespan on earth after the flood: “Yet his days shall be a hundred
and twenty years.”
God wants us to be satisfied with a
long healthy life, so we don’t have to give up if at 70 or 80 we’re not fully
satisfied yet. According to Genesis 6:3 we can certainly live longer, until
we’re totally satisfied.
I want to reveal an amazing truth
about death that many people don’t know. It’s such a great comfort and will get
rid of any fears we may have about dying.
Hebrews 2:9 says Jesus tasted
death for every man: “But we see Jesus, who,
... by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” The word “taste” is
translated from the Greek word which means “feel, experience.” Since Jesus went
through the physical experience of death for us, and felt it in our place, we
don’t have to. We don't have to feel or experience a horrible or scary death,
but our failsafe is that we must train our brains AHEAD OF TIME to truly
believe what Hebrews 2:9 says. In God's eyes, death is to be only a transition.
Suddenly we will just be changed. Our next waking moment we will be in heaven
with Him and go on with our spiritual life there.
My friend has had three distinct near-death
experiences and in each, she never had any five senses feelings of death. It
was always just a decision to live or die, and not based on any five senses
horrible feeling of death. This is documented in the Word of God. For the
believer, death is only a passing from this earthly realm to a heavenly realm.
What a comfort and what a blessing to know that for us there is absolutely
nothing to fear in death! Amazing and wonderful.
But while we’re here on earth, let’s
believe to be Psalm 91:16 people, living a long wonderfully satisfying life,
changing from glory to glory until we are as fully satisfied and ready to go
see our Lord face to face in heaven.
Love, Carolyn
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