The Word of God tells us that those who set their love on God will be delivered, honoured and satisfied with long life.
Having length of days, of course, will always come with challenges, difficulties and obstacles to well-being. These don’t have to mean that we will not, in the midst of trials, be content with what God puts before us. After all, He’s right there in the middle of it with us to help us out.
No bed of roses
There are many instances in the Word of God of His people going through sticky patches and having to completely rely on God’s mercy, tenderness and grace to help pull them through tough times.
Some of these situations were self-inflicted, others were circumstantial. Job is often quoted as an example of a person going through exacting trials. The end of his problems was to be twice as much a steward of God’s grace than before he went through the testing (Job 42:12).
And it was a testing. Not that God tempts anyone (Jam.1:13). God allowed the adversary to interfere with Job’s life in an attempt persuade Job to curse God to His face (Job 1:9-12). Even Job’s wife tried to get him to curse God (Job 2:9).
Job would not comply with her request or satan’s wicked attacks, choosing rather to accept the goodness of God along with any adversity which might come his way.
Unkind treatment
Joseph is an example of a person walking in integrity before God and going through various trials because of no fault of his own, but who eventually became one of the most influential men on earth at the time. Trials are not the issue. It’s how we face them that counts.
Others, like David or Samson, allowed adversity to come into their lives through disobedience to God’s will, and there was a cost to this, but He always led them to victory ultimately despite their wrongdoing and because they were repentant.
Many times we will simply be going through trials of our own faith because the enemy will use or persuade people under his power to oppose God by pressurising Jesus’ disciples, meaning any and all believers. Paul sums it up well.
But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
2 Timothy 3:10-12
We will all come under some kind of pressure for our faith. We should not be surprised when we suffer persecution because we live for Jesus and follow a code of conduct which the unsaved world cannot understand.
Paul had every confidence that the Lord would deliver him out of every situation he would have to face for the sake of the gospel as long as God needed him in the earth to do His will.
But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!
2 Timothy 4:17-18
Satisfied
So we shouldn’t fear those times when we face difficulties because they will strengthen our faith. We need to continue to fully preach the good news of Jesus Christ to a fallen world in the hope that we will help rescue many from eternal separation from God.
And we have seen that God will satisfy us with a long life when we set our love upon Him.
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
Psalms 91:13-14
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”
This Hebrew word for ‘satisfy’, שָׂבַע, ‘saba’, means, ‘to sate, to fill to satisfaction, to have enough, to be in excess.’
God is promising, despite any difficulties we may face, a long and satisfying, fulfilled life with Him. Godliness with contentment is great gain (1Ti.6:6).
When we set our love on God we will be satisfied.
