People
normally associate “the good life” with success in business or
profession, fame in society, and great material wealth.
The
truly successful people who earned their success through diligence
and honest hard work have the tendency to succeed more and more and
have many friends because success begets success. Wise King Solomon
said, “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no
sorrow with it” (Prov. 10:22 KJV). Be successful and generous and
God-fearing like Manny Paquiao and you will have plenty of friends
and admirers. You can even be a Congressman though you know nothing
on lawmaking, and who knows, a governor or even a President of the
Philippines!
In
the spiritual realm, a “good life” is a gift from God to those
who trust Him, and who make obeying God’s commands and applying
Christian principles of life their primary aim.
Life
is good when lived in love of God and of neighbor. “The eyes of the
LORD are upon the righteous (or virtuous and godly person) and his
ears are open unto their cry” (Ps. 34:15). “The righteous cry,
and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles”
(vs. 17). The promise of the LORD is that, “Many are the
afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of
them all” (vs. 19).
In
Job 14:1, the Bible tells us, “Man that is born of a woman is of
few days, and full of trouble”. Thus, the LORD Jesus who was born
of Miss Mary, and, therefore, a 100% human (and also 100% divine)
lived only for 33 ½ years or roughly 12,227 days. He suffered
tremendous persecution hardly describable in words during the short
span of his life as human, culminating in his crucifixion in the
cross of calvary. Praise God, He sent His only begotten Son to take
our place in the cross of calvary. We do not have to be crucified or
die spiritually for our sins anymore.
Best
of all, however, is that, “the LORD redeemeth the soul
of his servants: and none of
them that trust
in him (or put his complete confidence and reliance on the integrity
of the promises of God) will be desolate” (or guilty), and these
will live a truly good life. The spiritual prescription: be righteous
and completely trust God for deliverance from all your troubles. That
is truly the good life!
Oh,
taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in
Him! (Psalm 34:8). This means that no one can taste a good life
without knowing and fully trusting God for victory and deliverance
from all his troubles in life.
[FGBMFI
Davao City Chapter Bulletin, March 9, 2013]
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