Proverbs 10:27 Adding days_
The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. Proverbs 10:27 NIV
The reverence of Yahweh addeth days, but the years of the lawless shall be shortened. (Emphasized Bible)
To one, days are added. To the other, years are lopped off (“cut short” from the Hebrew meaning “to dock off, curtail, cut as in the harvest”). My first thought was, why isn’t the time scale use flipped around and years added, as opposed to days, to those who love God? Thinking further though, it makes sense. Without paying attention to instruction large chunks of time may be lost quickly. I think of smoking. I understand the pull, the pleasure, and the addiction, but in the end, gambling with a major cancer risk will take years from a life. Chunks of time. Not regarding the little things (such as the air I breath) creates huge problems for me (and my life span).
In contrast, the one who values Yahweh finds He is in the moments, the days, the details. When I hear his instruction in the little things, it adds a day here, a week there. Over a life, the compound interest makes for a large sum when it’s time to cash it in. The extra walk, avoiding pesticides, maintaining a positive disposition, laughing, a glass of red wine, regular body maintenance – it all adds up. Why? We take care of the temple he dwells in. Paying attention to the details is a good thing. Whether or not my life is spared and my days are extended, my life is rich in Him, and forever.
Not many navigate this life perfectly, yet we have the perfect promise that all of our days will be lengthened and Jesus told Mary and Martha that we will rise again. Extending my life in this body has some value, but the fear or reverence of Yahweh impacts far more than the days I occupy this aging flesh. As I gaze into his face, I’m being transformed. My very nature is being made similar to the Son’s. Didn’t it glow at one point when Jesus took Peter, James, and John into a mountain?
Are you glowing yet?