Does GOD Actually Promise Us Long Life?

Today we celebrate a birthday in my family – number five this month! Like other families, ours is grateful for the gift of life GOD granted to our loved one and are praying that she is blessed with many more years.

A long and happy life is what most of us desire for ourselves and our loved ones, but do we know that for certain that GOD actually promise us long life? The answer we find in GOD’s WORD is unquestionably, “YES!”

However, because GOD is sovereign in everything concerning all humanity, how or when any of us will die is still His sovereign choice. A child of GOD and a non-believer can both have long or short lives. GOD knows all of our futures and determines what is in our best interest, according to His providence. You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer Job 14:5. GOD directs and controls every aspect of our lives.

Who is the promise for?

Although we cannot predict when we will depart from this life, GOD’s promise for a long and productive life still holds true for His chosen, if we do not violate the conditions of His promise.  

The promise of long life is for believers – the children of GOD; there is no place in the Scriptures where GOD says otherwise. In both the Old and New Testaments, GOD’s promise of long life is spoken to and about His chosen people, never about nonbelievers...but with stipulations.

I found this quote recently, attributed to the French Philosopher Voltaire,  God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well. While this is a nice sounding and clever concept, it is not Biblical. GOD gives us both the gift of life and the gift of living well. A child of GOD is fully aware that, left to our own devices, we can do a poor job with life.

Once we make the decision to accept JESUS into our lives He must be LORD as well as Savior we must surrender to Him with total obedience – body, soul and spirit. With JESUS as LORD we have divine guidance, divine protection, and divine healing, if and when we need it. We get full access to and enjoyment of GOD’s divine promises when GOD has full control of our lives.

When JESUS isn’t LORD in our lives we make the same poor choices non-believers do and are unable to fulfill our true destiny, as GOD designed it for our lives. By our disobedience, we remove ourselves from under His maximum protection and, quite possibly, miss out on the promise of a long and fruitful life.

What are the conditions for a long and fruitful life?

GOD’s WORD lays out exactly what the Father is looking for and expecting from His children – all are spelled out emphatically in both the Old and New Testaments. As children of GOD, we are entitled to all of the same blessings that our Father promised to Israel in the Old Testament. We are of the seed of Abraham and “joint heirs” to all because of our belief and faith in GOD the Father and the shed blood of His SON, JESUS CHRIST. The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. Galatians 3:5

Love the Lord and obey His voice

• “… I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days …” Deuteronomy 30:1
• My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. Proverbs 4:10
• “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16

Keep His commands and His Law and walk in all His ways

• “If you obey all the decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you and your children. I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you for all time.” Deuteronomy 4:40
• “…and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life.” Deuteronomy 6:2
• “Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.” Deuteronomy 5:33
• “My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying.” Proverbs 3:1-2

Live by GOD’s wisdom and with integrity

• Yes, always use honest weights and measures, so that you may enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 25:15
•  “(Wisdom) offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left.” Proverbs 3:16,
• “Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life.” Proverbs 9:11
• For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.” 1 Peter 3:10

Honor your father and your mother

• “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12
• “Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 5:16
• “If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:3

These Scriptures confirm that long life is a reality for GOD’s chosen people who completely surrender their lives to His will and have a true personal relationship with Him.

Two main reasons GOD gives us long life are:

To complete the work for which He created us.

• We are the Father’s masterpiece…created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10.) GOD wants us to shine as brightly as we can for as long as we can – to be a bright light to a dark world and to glorify His NAME.

To enjoy the fruit of our labor, and His creation.

• It is GOD’s nature to care for all that He has made; it gives Him enormous pleasure to richly give us all we need for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17.) He tells us He will give us all that we need for a good life, to enjoy right here on earth and before we go home to be with Him in heaven.

For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. Psalm 84:11

Long life included!

Happy birthday to the lovely Najah; may you live with joy all the days the LORD ordained for you, and prosper in HIM!

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy Father, YOUR goodness and mercy endure to all generations and YOUR love never runs out.  We thank YOU that not one word of all the wonderful promises YOU gave throughout Scripture has failed but all continue to be “yes” and “Amen”. Thank you LORD that you are with us now as YOU were with our ancestors and that YOU will never abandon us unto ourselves. Give us the desire to do YOUR will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and laws that YOU gave to us through our ancestors. Remind us to teach these to our children so they too can experience the promises that are ours from generation to generation, until YOU return to take us home. Father, we are just grateful to be among YOUR chosen and we entrust our length of days to YOUR sovereign will. May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in YOUR sight…YOU are our GOD, and our REDEEMER.  We pray and ask all things in the matchless Name of JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Amen!

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile