Dying Full of Days

[S] Job 42:17 --
17 And Job died, an old man and full of days.

[O] What a blessed life Job has led here on earth.  The key operative here is "full of days."  I want to say that at the end of my life, too -- I lived and died full of days.  Job's life was going pretty well until he was tested and all of his possessions were removed; and then with his un-helpful friends, Job went through some serious time of contemplation but came out of that with the right heart before God who eventually blessed Job materially as well as spiritually so that he would die as an old man, full of days.

[A] Not that it'll matter to me after I die, but I do want to be leaving behind a legacy to my children that living a life full of days in Christ is the most important thing one can live for.

[P] Dear Father, mold my life so that I would live my life full of days according to Your will.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Beyond My Chariots and Horses

[S] Psalm 20:7-8 --
   ⁷Some boast in chariots and some in horses,
         But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.
    ⁸They have bowed down and fallen,
         But we have risen and stood upright.

[O] What are my "chariots and horses"?  They could be my position in society, money, power, gadgets, appearances, and cars.  I can compare these with others somewhat quantitatively and thus I am easily falling into the trap of trying to gauge where I fit with respect to others around me by comparing these things.  However, when's the last time I compared how many more Bible verses I memorized, or how may needy people I supported physically or financially, or even about how loudly I cried out to God proclaiming His wonderful compassion toward me?

The short answer is not as much as I boast about my chariots and horses.  As I ponder on this passage with this thought going through my mind, I am concluding that the reason is because at the core I trust in my chariots and horses to rise above the society.  Psalmist reminded me that ultimately God is the one who will do that and thus I need to boast about how wondrous He is going to lift me up as I abide in Him alone and boast in His name.

[A] May my life be boasting about how Your word unfolds the wondrous love through all I do and do be founded in drawing wisdom from the Divine Mentors from the Bible every day.

[P] Dear God, I am grateful for all the material things You granted in my life and yet may I not boast in those but instead develop a well-disciplined life of soaking up Your wisdom layer by layer, day by day.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.