My son do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.
Proverbs 3:1
A former Pastor of mine used to say, "The Bible works for those who work it." The longer I live, the more convinced I am that he was right. The Bible is a miracle-working book, but only for those who apply it. You can know it and preach it, but unless you live it, the Bible is just another book you have.
My father is a living testimony of the Word of God. He has kept God's teaching in his heart and has lived not only many years but also prosperous and peaceful ones. If we consider that his father abandoned him as a young child, that he grew up in extreme poverty, and lost his mother very young, my dad's life does not make sense by the world's standards.
He should have grown up bitter and full of anger, and yet he is the sweetest man you'll ever meet. His heart should be full of resentment, and against all odds, he taught my brothers and me the benefits of forgiveness. He should have been a cunning man, always looking for easy deals, but instead, he is the most honest and hardest-working man I know—all to the Glory of God and thanks to God's mercy and His word.
My father should have been a terrible husband and father, but instead, he loves my mother and his kids as much as his human heart allows it. My friends, don't look elsewhere if you seek the best strategy to live a long, healthy, prosperous, and peaceful life. You will find it in God's teachings.
We should eat right and exercise. We should learn to deal with stress and sleep better. We should have financial goals and dream big, but none of these goals will bring us true peace and prosperity unless we keep God's commands in our hearts. I know people who attend Christian Churches who have it all according to the world's standards but live broken lives.
Living God's commands is the key to a long, prosperous life. We can know the Bible. We can look as if we live it, but the fruits of God's words will not be produced in our lives unless we apply the Bible. No life in this broken world is perfect, but the life of a son or daughter of God should not be a perpetual mess. Want to live long, prosperous, and peaceful lives? Work the Bible by living it.
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