The Rule For A Long Life

The Rule For A Long Life

You must serve only the LORD your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness . . . and I will give you long, full lives. Exodus 23:25-26

Today’s verse can be confusing, can’t it? It says that the one rule for good health is to serve only the Lord our God. And yet we’ve all known people who have served him faithfully and died too young.

I’ve sat at the bedsides of young patients who were terminal and thought, How is God’s promise being fulfilled here? But what has surprised me the most in these cases is the clarity and fullness of the short lives of these patients. Once they enter their final home, they have a vision of a longer, fuller life. God can and will fulfill his promises in the grandest way possible, even after our mortal bodies are gone.

Today’s verse tells us that there were built-in rewards in God’s covenant with Israel. If the people of Israel served the Lord, he would bless them with food and water and protect them from illness. Yet, during their exodus in the wilderness, the people were beset by many temptations to sidetrack their faith in the Lord. Even with the promise of prosperity before them, the Israelites fell away from God time and time again.

How often do we do the same thing? Doctors tell us what to do to have a long and healthy life, yet even with the simplest of instructions, we find their advice difficult to follow. How much more difficult would it be to follow a long list of dos and don’ts created by our Creator?

The Great Physician tells us that there is only one rule for good health: Serve only the Lord your God. Even today, this promise will result in healthier living and a better life.

TODAY’S RX

Serving the Lord has a gift attached. He will give us a long and full life, even if we only glimpse a portion of that life now.

Father, I confess that my attention is often divided, and I devote my time to worldly pursuits. I pray that you will help me serve you—and you alone. Thank you for the promise of your blessing.