By But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives (II 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. We must make the right choices. Consider this quote by D.L. Moody: “Let God have your life; He can do more with it than you can.” Mr. Moody was right. We need to give God our lives. After all, what is life?
Life is God-given. In Genesis 2, God breathed the breath of life into Adam and he became a living soul. God has divine ownership of our lives. Acts 17:28 says, “For in him we live and move and have our being…”
Life is a very short span. The Bible describes this clearly. Notice the descriptions given:
Like the appearance and disappearance of a shadow (Job 14:1-2). Like a vapor- here and then gone (James 4:14). Like a tale that is told (Psalm 90:9).
Life is priceless. In Matthew 10:29-31, Jesus tells us that God sees and cares about one sparrow that falls to the ground. He also tells us that we are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 9:56 states the mission of our Lord: “For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Our lives have great value to Him.
Life is to be valued above all things. Life is to be lived in the abundance that God intends for us. Notice the following verses:
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? (Matthew 6:25)
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (Psalm 90:12).
Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:15-16).
The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).
And my God will meet your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
What is life? It is a God-given gift that He wants us to enjoy. He will help us live good lives if we only allow Him to be the focal point of our lives. Let us follow D.L. Moody’s advice: Let us give our lives to God since He can do more with them than we can.
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 