«A LONG AND PROSPEROUS LIFE»
«My child, don’t forget what I teach you. Always remember what I tell you to do. My teaching will give you a long and prosperous life» (Proverbs 3:1, 2, GNT).
CYRUS, the Persian king mentioned in Isaiah and Daniel, is considered to be one of the greatest men in human history. His military feats and achievements as a monarch were many, but today I would like for us to reflect on an incident told by Cicero in his book On Old Age.
One day, Lysander, the Spartan, visited Cyrus. Lysander came bearing gifts that upraised the Persian king’s power and glory. As was his custom, Cyrus treated his visitor kindly and courteously, and invited him to see a piece of land that had been meticulously planted. Lysander marveled at the height of the trees, at how neatly they were placed in series of triangles, at the loveliness and perfume of the flowers, and at the artistry of the person who had planned and executed that magnificent work.
Cicero declares that upon seeing Lysander’s admiration, Cyrus replied, » ‘Why! everything you see there is my work. Those rows were my idea; I mapped them out. As a matter of fact, many of those trees were planted by my own hand.’ Fixing his gaze on the king’s purple robe, his elegance, and his Persian robe heavily ornamented with gold and many jewels, he said, ‘Men are quite right, Cyrus, when they call you the Blessed.’”
King Cyrus planting trees? Yes, that’s right. Under no circumstances does being in a high position exempt us from taking part in life’s routine activities. And the famous monarch’s happiness was largely due to that. We tend to think the essence of happiness lies in having lots of money, traveling to the place of our dreams, or starting our own business; but you can be happy by planting a tree, eating your favorite desert, talking to your loved one. . .There is happiness in simplicity.
Solomon, who knew how to be happy, gives us this valuable advice: «My child, don’t forget what I teach you. Always remember what I tell you to do. My teaching will give you a long and prosperous life. Never let go of loyalty and faithfulness. Tie them around your neck; write them on your heart» (Proverbs 3:1-3, GNT).
It is a simple recipe: obey God and never let go of love and faithfulness. Then others will say of us, «No wonder they are happy.»
www.meditacionesdiarias.com
https://twitter.com/meditacionesdi1
http://www.instagram.com/meditacionesdiarias7
Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Angelica Cuate