1. A Good Heart Receives Peace and Life
1 My son, don’t forget my teaching;
but let your heart keep my commandments:
2 for life and length of days,
and peace, will they add to you.
Godly instruction held in the heart is connected with peace, length of days, and a better life.
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2. Wisdom Is Connected With Happiness
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gets understanding.
14 For her good profit is better than getting silver,
and her return is better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies.
None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand.
In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness.
All her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her.
Happy is everyone who retains her.
Wisdom joins happiness, peace, and length of days. A good heart learns to value wisdom more than gain.
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3. Mercy Benefits the One Who Shows It
17 You do yourself a favor when you are kind. If you are cruel, you only hurt yourself. (18) Wicked people do not really gain anything, but if you do what is right, you are certain to be rewarded. (19) Anyone who is determined to do right will live, but anyone who insists on doing wrong will die.
Kindness is not only good for others. Scripture says mercy more-so benefits the person who shows it.
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4. A Peaceful Heart Is Life to the Body
30 Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.
A calm, clean heart supports life, while envy and inner corruption damage the person from within.
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5. Gentle Speech Turns Away Harm
A gentle answer turns away rage, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (2) The tongues of wise people give good expression to knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out a flood of stupidity. (3) The eyes of the LORD are everywhere. They watch evil people and good people. (4) A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue breaks the spirit.
A kind heart shows itself in gentle speech, which reduces conflict instead of feeding it.
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6. A Glad Heart Shows on the Face
13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
but an aching heart breaks the spirit.
The condition of the heart affects the spirit and even the outward expression of life.
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7. Pleasant Words Are Healthful
24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
Good words from a good heart can refresh both the soul and the body.
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8. A Cheerful Heart Works Like Medicine
22 A cheerful heart makes good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Scripture connects a cheerful inner life with strength and refreshment, while a crushed spirit weakens.
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9. Kindness to the Lowly Is Seen by God
Obey the Lord's teachings and you will live-- disobey and you will die. (17) Caring for the poor is lending to the
LORD (
יהוה), and you will be well repaid.
Kindness done toward the needy is not ignored by God. A merciful heart acts with God's blessing in view.
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10. Life and Good Days Are Linked With Doing Good
12 Who is someone who desires life,
and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Depart from evil, and do good.
Seek peace, and pursue it.
This passage directly joins the desire for life and many good days with clean speech, doing good, and pursuing peace.
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11. The Righteous Inherit the Earth
27 Depart from evil, and do good.
Live securely forever.
28 For
יהוה loves justice,
and doesn’t forsake his
saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29
The righteous shall inherit the land,
and live in it forever.
Goodness is not merely temporary moral improvement. The Bible very directly connects righteousness with living securely forever.
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12. Humility and Fear of God Lead to Life
4 The result of humility and the fear of
יהוה
is wealth, honor, and life.
A humble heart that fears God is connected with life and true honor.
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13. God Requires Kindness and Humility
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good.
What does
יהוה require of you, but to act justly,
to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
Goodness from the heart includes justice, mercy, and humble walking with God.
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14. Mercy, Purity, and Peacemaking Bring Blessing
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Jesus directly blesses mercy, purity of heart, and peacemaking.
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15. More Happiness Comes From Giving
35 In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak,
and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said,
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Jesus taught that giving produces greater happiness than receiving.
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16. Love, Joy, Peace, Kindness, and Goodness Are the Spirit’s Fruit
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,
23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Kindness and goodness belong with joy and peace as the fruit God produces in those led by His Spirit.
Annotation: Not being condemned by Law means life...
17. Kindness and Forgiveness Mark the New Person
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other,
just as God also in Christ forgave you.
A good heart puts away bitterness and becomes kind, tender, and forgiving.
Annotation: Forgiveness in Christ means eternal life.
18. Love Binds the Christian Qualities Together
12 Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any;
even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
14 Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
Compassion, kindness, humility, forgiveness, love, and peace all belong together in the heart.
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19. Good Days Require Clean Speech and Peace
10 For,
‘He who would love life,
and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil,
and his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil, and do good.
Let him seek peace, and pursue it.’
Peter repeats Psalm 34, showing that the desire for life and good days remains tied to clean speech and doing good.
Annotation: Personal peace through faith in Christ is life!
20. Wisdom From Above Is Full of Mercy and Good Fruits
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable,
full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Heavenly wisdom produces mercy, good fruits, sincerity, righteousness, and peace.
Annotation: Some people believe these verses apply to personal internal righteousness. I believe they refer also to the crop of righteous individuals we cultivate and harvest by our loving-kindness and truth shown to and shared with them. (
Mal 3:16-4:3)
21. Spiritual Prosperity and Health
. . .The Ancient, to the dearly beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. (2) Dearly beloved, concerning all things I make it my prayer that thou mayest proceed prosperously and fare well, as thy soul doth prosperously.
John’s prayer connects well-being with the prosperity of the soul [life], showing God's concern for both spiritual and personal physical welfare.
Annotation: The various translators rendered this message as coming from "The" Church Leader, "The" Elder, and even "The" Ancient. I believe it is safe to consider this message as coming directly from Christ through John. God wants to bless you with good health and happiness...
God leaves no doubt your Health and Eternal Life and Happiness is tied directly to your own expressions of Goodness and Kindness toward others. It is a prominent theme of the Bible; and one you do great harm to yourself to fail to recognize and take advantage of! I mean; who doesn't want to be happy, right?
Isaiah's Vision of New Earth Paradise