March 15 - Live Long and Prosper

 Read today’s texts first: Deuteronomy 28,29; Galatians 6

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

To “live long and prosper” has more to do with the life
to come , where “one man has gone before!” 

Again, the tension we see between our OT and NT readings helps us develop a balanced perspective. Those who think we will always be healthy and wealthy if we believe and confess God’s Word (the prosperity movement) love the promises of Deuteronomy (28:1-14): The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity (11).

If you believe that, you are right, to a point. If we do things God’s way we will always be better off. First of all, God is the Creator so He knows how things work. Most of what He asks us to do is common sense. If we are honest, hard-working employees, we will likely stay working and maintain a steady income. If we live good, clean, moral lives we will avoid self-destructive addictions. If we love our families we will take care of them and teach them well, and they will likely grow up to be successful like us. On top of these natural consequences is the supernatural God factor. God will look out for us when things are beyond our control.

However, how do we explain the hardship Jesus endured. Prosperity teachers will say Jesus went through all of those things so we wouldn’t have to. Okay, what about Paul, or for that matter, the rest of the apostles and persecuted believers of the New Testament churches? Did you notice Paul’s comment about his big handwritten letters at the end of his epistle (6:11)? Did you also pick up on the illness he had when he first preached in Galatia (4:12-15)? He said that the Galatians felt so sorry for him that they would have been willing to give their eyes to him.

I suspect Paul had some type of eye disease that made it difficult for him to write (that’s why he had other people transcribe his letters). There’s good support that this was a chronic condition, and may have been what Paul called his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Whether it was or not, we can’t categorize Paul’s life as healthy and wealthy (2 Corinthians 11:23-27). Stonings, beatings, shipwrecks, snake bite, illness, prison, and, oh yeah, martyrdom - none of those things seem prosperous.

Paul does confirm the promises of Deuteronomy, though - we will reap what we sow, but if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (6:7-9). That’s what it really means to live long and prosper (take note Trekkies)!  “Thank You Lord that Your promises of prosperity are true to those who trust and obey, if not completely in this world then most certainly in the world to come (where one Man has gone before!).”