The Key to

a Long Life

It is human nature to want to live a long, healthy life and at the same time lament growing old. This goes way farther back than Ponce de León's search for the fountain of youth. The movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" illustrates the dilemma we all face—we aren't born aged, progressively getting younger, and then departing this life as a newborn. We're born, we age, and eventually we die.

Here's something amazing to consider: As children of the living God, we have a measure of divine life while we're living in these mortal bodies. Romans 8:11 tells us that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead has "quickened" our mortal bodies.

What does that mean for you? It means you have the ability to live out a full and productive life right here on earth because of the divine life living within you and sustaining you each and every day.

God has given us beautiful promises like Psalm 91:16: "With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." We should cling to life and healthy living as long as we possibly can. As one preacher wisely said, we should live "until I am satisfied with living."

Think about this: God gave us His covenant name "Jehovah Rapha"—the God who heals. Why would He do that if He didn't intend to provide healing during our journey here?

I don't believe it's God's will for any of His children to be ravaged by sickness and disease. Divine health is what we should pursue. And here's what I've discovered: the more I press into the healing promises of God and live them out by faith, the less sickness and disease tries to overtake me, and the more productive for His kingdom I become.

Even the word "salvation" in Greek—"Soteria"—carries the meaning of deliverance, preservation, safety, soundness, healing, and health. God's plan for you is comprehensive!

Psalm 92:12-14 paints a beautiful picture—even as we grow older, we can still flourish like a green tree and bring forth fruit for God's kingdom, just as if we were younger. Age doesn't have to limit your impact or your vitality!

James 5:16 gives us a practical tool: "Pray for each other that you may be healed." There is genuine power in the prayer of the righteous, and healing is often the result.

When you combine prayer with faith and speak words of life, something extraordinary happens. This is your divine privilege as a child of God!

So here's my encouragement to you today: Don't just accept sickness, decline, and diminishment as inevitable. Press into God's promises. Pray with faith. Speak life over yourself and others.

God has so much more for you—a full, productive, healthy life that bears fruit for His kingdom at every age. That's the key to truly living long and living well!