By For whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it (I Peter 3: 10-11).
God has given each of us the gift of life. In addition, He has given us the free will to decide what to do with it. It is up to us to make the right choices.
Consider this quote by D.L. Moody: “Give God your life; He can do more with it than you can.” As simple as that statement is – it is absolutely right. We need to give God our lives. Consider this as we ask, “What is life?”
Life is God-given. From the very beginning this is true. Genesis 2:7 is so clear regarding this: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Life is a very short span. The Bible describes life as the appearance and disappearance of a shadow. Another analogy is a vapor that is here – then gone. Psalm 90:9 says we spend our years as a tale that is told. Compared to eternity, our lives are less than drops in a bucket.
Life is priceless. God has the power to destroy lives. Instead, He sent Jesus to save lives. In Matthew 10, Jesus spoke of the fact that God knows when a sparrow falls to the ground. Then He said, “Fear not, you are of more value than many sparrows.” Isn’t it great to know that God values us so highly?
Life is to be valued above things. It is more than fine homes and expensive cars. It is more than even the necessities of food and clothing. It is to be lived in the spiritual abundance that God intends for us. Finally, it is to be lived wisely as Psalm 90:12 states: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
by leaps and bounds 