The Good Life

In I Chronicles 29:28, the writer summarizes David's life at his passing by enumerating three blessings any one of us today can relate to:

Long Life

David died when he was not only old for our day, 70-80, but extremely old for his day when the life expectancy was lower. Even though we are promised heaven, a long life still remains a blessing, especially if as the writer says, it's a good old age. I'm ready to be with God but a longer time to serve Him here is definitely a blessing.

Wealth

There is no nobility in poverty. God doesn't love the poor more than the rich, it's those who humble themselves that God loves. David was a man after God's heart and one of God's blessings on David was wealth. It's hard for a man who seeks wealth to enter into the Kingdom but for those who have found the Kingdom, God can use them as a channel for His blessing of wealth.

Honor

There's a difference between honor and fame. Fame is where people know who you are. Honor is where people both know and respect who you are. Because of his service and faithfulness, David, not only was honored by the people but was favored by God, and this honor continues until this day. This is the type of honor (eternal honor) we seek when we persevere in our service to the Lord.

We often have the view that our only reward for perseverance in Christ will come after our death and somehow this ennobles suffering here. David's life shows us that our God can and often does generously reward our faithful service with the good life here as well as in the hereafter.