Faith Fundamentals
Editor’s Note: The following article was published in the Believer’s Voice of Victory magazine in January 2005. You can purchase Gloria Copeland’s new book Live Long, Finish Strong: The Divine Secret to Living Healthy, Happy, and Healed at the kcm.org online store.
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life shall be many…. Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. — Proverbs 4:10,13 Amplified
The Bible is called the Word of Life. There’s not another book like it in the world that can teach us how to live out the full number of our days in the blessing of God. By taking hold of His instructions, we can experience longevity, which means of great age; long life; great span of life; length of days. And not only that, the Bible also teaches us how to live a good life — to have a life worth living!
Whether we live long and strong, or short and weak, is up to us. It depends on what we do with the Word God speaks to us. It also depends on what we do in our natural lives. No one can expect to live out the full number of his or her days as a glutton, a drunk, or by eating only junk food. Research and studies about longevity have proven that to be true. Not surprisingly, God already knew that, and His Word addresses those issues (and others) so we can live long, productive lives!
Keith Moore, pastor of Faith Life Church in Branson, Missouri, has studied the subject of longevity for years. In addition to studying what the Word says about it, he has collected published accounts of people who have lived long. He discovered that most people who live long lives have certain traits in common, such as serving God, walking in love, and having a positive attitude. It seems lively, happy people live longer than those who have sour attitudes with no zest for life.The study also indicates that many centenarians remain mentally and physically active, continuing to read, exercise, and participate in life. Many attend church. Few are obese. They also seem to have good attitudes and are able to handle stress better than most people.
To sum it up, people who live long exhibit an attitude of life.
Even though many of these centenarians attend church, a majority probably don’t know that the Word of God is a source of life and health — more than likely, they’re just living in the “natural” for the most part. So just imagine what people living in the supernatural can do! When we are born again, we are given eternal life — the life of God. We have the Spirit of life and the Book that gives life. No longer are we just living a natural life. We have supernatural life.As born-again believers, we are born of the righteousness of God. We have right on the inside of us. First Corinthians 1:30 says Jesus “…is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” And not only that, we can be filled with the Holy Spirit, who is called the Spirit of life. He brings life to us, and He is also our teacher. He quickens us according to the Word. He will open our eyes to the promises of life, healing, and health in Scripture. God’s Word is life to us when we put it in our eyes and ears and it comes out our mouth.
People who don’t know God are not living right because they don’t have right on the inside of them. They don’t have the wisdom of God working in their lives or the Holy Spirit bringing life to them.
Believers have great advantages the universities don’t know much about!
Everything God tells us to do is life-giving! The Bible is filled with the wisdom we need to live long, healthy, productive lives. It also warns us of things that can cut our lives short. Many causes of sickness and early death are self-induced and often related to disobedience to God’s Word. There are steps we need to take both in the natural and spiritual realms in order to live longer and stronger.
One of the best sources of wisdom for a long life is the book of Proverbs. In fact, I like to call it a “longevity book.” It gives us specific instructions about what to do and not to do if we want to live long and strong. It teaches us that keeping God’s Word will add to us “…length of days and years of a life [worth living] and tranquility [inward and outward and continuing through old age till death]…” (Proverbs 3:2 Amplified).
Verse 3 then tells us that walking in love will help us live long. It says: “Let not mercy and kindness [shutting out all hatred and selfishness]…forsake you….” In other words, walk in love — it’s a commandment with a lot of perks! For one thing, it will help us stay out of strife. That’s important because strife opens the door to sickness, disease, and every evil work (James 3:16).
Proverbs 3:5-8 (Amplified) counsels us:
In a nutshell, doing what God says is how to live long and strong in the earth. We must turn entirely away from evil. It’s the only way we can be free, stay well, and live long on the earth. When God instructs us to let go of something, we need to do it.Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil. It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.
Walking in His wisdom leads to a happy, productive life.
Verses 13-19 reveal that:
Notice this passage of Scripture calls wisdom a tree of life. Bullinger’s Companion Bible defines it as the tree which preserved life. God’s Word is His wisdom. Walking in His wisdom allows us to live as if we were in the Garden of Eden before sin entered into the world.Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
Think about it. The earth was founded upon wisdom (v. 19). So when you walk in the wisdom of God, the earth responds to that — everything will respond to the wisdom of God. The more you know about the tree of life (wisdom) and the more you eat of it, the stronger you become and the longer and better you will live.
Verse 18 in The Amplified Bible says: “She is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her; and happy (blessed, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who holds her fast.”
It’s well worth the effort! Being faithful to walk in the truths of God’s Word — to do the Word — will bring days of Heaven on earth into your life. Proverbs 4:20-22 (Amplified) says, “My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.”
God’s Word is the tree that gives life.
Those who succumb to the problems of this world don’t enjoy long life. It’s not your circumstances, but rather how you deal with them, that make the difference in the end.So be a fighter if you want to live a long life!
Get a picture of that in your mind. See yourself full of life — quick and strong. You can run through a troop and leap over a wall (Psalm 18:29). Why? Because God is living in you! His life on the inside of you will motivate you and give you strength. When you’re full of the life of God, you’ll never find a sad, depressed person looking back at you in the mirror. Instead, you’ll see a happy, joyful countenance! Don’t allow Satan to steal your joy and your long, strong life.Psalm 118:15 says, “The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous….” There shouldn’t be any moaning and groaning, sadness, or depression in the house of the righteous. A believer’s life should be one of rejoicing and salvation. Health and healing and long life belong to us.
I like what a Jewish commentary to the Psalms1 says about this verse: “The wicked are considered dead even while they are alive, because their souls are cut off from God, the source of all life. David says, ‘I shall be counted among the righteous who are considered alive even after death. Certainly, I will not be considered dead even while I live!’”
Remember, as a believer, God is living on the inside of you! And His Word gives you life. So start believing, receiving, and acting on what it says about long life now. Don’t wait until you’re elderly or faced with an illness. In faith, begin believing and saying what the Bible says about your outcome.
Set Your Sights Right
According to Genesis 6:3 you could expect to live 120 years! That’s the last time Scripture addresses the life span for man in general. And God hasn’t changed His mind.
According to the Boston University study I mentioned earlier, “life span” means the maximum number of years it is possible to live, defined by the longest-living individual. Although there have been reports of others living even longer, the longest documented life in recent years was that of Madame Jeanne Calment of France. She lived from 1875-1997. That’s 122 years! Now, if she was able to live that long, as believers we certainly should be able to do the same — especially since the Word says a man’s life span should be 120 years.
Now I would like to explain Psalm 90:10 (Amplified) because it has been misunderstood by some. This scripture says, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten (seventy years) — or even, if by reason of strength, fourscore years (eighty years)….” What people often don’t realize is that this scripture is talking specifically about the Israelites in the wilderness who were living under the curse because of disobedience. It doesn’t apply to anyone else.So it shouldn’t be our expectation.
That’s important to know because our attitudes, beliefs, and ignorance of the Word can affect our life span.
I know of a family with a history of longevity where this is clearly illustrated. One sister is 100 years old. The second sister is 96, still lives alone, drives a car and has a 70-year-old boyfriend. She has a relationship with Jesus and casts her cares on the Lord. It’s obvious she has a great attitude of life.
The third sister, however, had heard the traditional slant on Psalm 90:10 and held on to the idea that she should live to be only 70 or 80 years old. When she got sick in her latter years she remarked, “Well, I got my 70 years.” Soon after, she went home to be with the Lord. Her belief affected her life span.
The same was true for Ken’s mother. She believed God to live to be 70 years old. On her seventieth birthday, she called Ken on the phone and exclaimed, “I made it!” She only lived a few more years.
How long we live depends on how we live and where we set our goal. To have a life worth living, we must set our goal according to what the Word says about our lives, not according to tradition. I think of how Ken has to set the sights on his rifle just right if he wants to shoot accurately and hit the target. In the same way, we must set our sights right — in line with the Word — and aim to live long and live strong.
So exhibit an attitude of life! Take hold of life and enjoy it! You can enjoy strength of days and length of days.
1Rabbis Scherman, Nosson and Zlotowitz, Meir, Tehillim/Psalms: A New Translation With a Commentary Anthologized From Talmudic, Midrashic, and Rabbinic Sources, Two-Volume Edition (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, Ltd., 2002).
Gloria Copeland is a noted author and minister of the Gospel whose teaching ministry is known throughout the world. Believers worldwide know her through Believers’ Conventions, Victory Campaigns, magazine articles, teaching audios and videos, and the daily and Sunday “Believer’s Voice of Victory” television broadcast, which she hosts with her husband Kenneth Copeland. She is known for “Healing School,” which she began teaching and hosting in 1979 at KCM meetings. Gloria delivers the Word of God and keys to victorious Christian living to millions of people every year. She is author of the New York Times bestseller God’s Master Plan for Your Life, as well as numerous favorites, including God’s Will for You, Walk With God, God’s Will Is Prosperity, Hidden Treasures, and To Know Him. She has also co-authored several books with her husband, includingFamily Promises, Healing Promises, and the best-selling daily devotionals From Faith to Faith and Pursuit of His Presence. Gloria holds an honorary doctorate degree from Oral Roberts University. In 1994, Gloria was voted Christian Woman of the Year, an honor conferred on women whose example demonstrates outstanding Christian leadership. Gloria is also the co-founder and vice president of Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas.
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