Psalm 34:8,12 NASB O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! [12] Who is the man who loves life And loves length of days that he may see good?
1 Peter 3:10 NASB For, “THE ONE WHO LOVES LIFE, LOVES TO SEE GOOD DAYS…
1 Peter 3:15 NASB but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
1 Peter 3:10 is a quote from Psalm 34:12, and I love what the Holy Spirit is saying here. If you really have a revelation of the nature of God, that He is good, then you are free to love life and love the days that make up your life because you anticipate that you will see the goodness of God demonstrated each and every day. I’ve known so many miserable Christians over the years. That is so sad because Romans 15:13 tells us that God is a God of hope, and being who we are in union with the very life of the 2nd person of the Trinity, who is hope, hope should be a part of our spiritual and emotional DNA. People of hope love life, even though not everything that happens in life is painless. They love life, anticipating that they will see the goodness of God because even when the enemy is involved, God causes all things to work together for good. I believe that hope and anxiety are 2 polar opposites because both hope and anxiety anticipate something. Anxiety anticipates that something bad might happen, while hope anticipates that something absolutely good will happen. God is love, and He loves us with His perfect love, and perfect love casts out fear and anxiety because perfect love will make sure that things turn out for our good every time. Somehow, we’ve been led to believe that holiness should look like hating everything in this life and being serious all the time, but if you are in Christ, hope is the anchor of your soul, and joy unspeakable, full of glory is the normal disposition of your heart. Not only is it okay to love life and look forward to every day, it is holy to do so. Jesus wasn’t a sourpuss, and as those in union with His very life, we should never be either. Even when there are days full of pain and confusion, we can still love life and anticipate seeing the goodness of God in the land of the living. Besides that, no matter what we’re going through, we have His presence, and in His presence is fullness of joy, and at His right hand, there are pleasures for evermore. I don’t believe that 1st Peter 3:15 is simply talking about being prepared to share the gospel if somebody asks you about Jesus; instead, I believe that that verse is saying that those who have set Jesus Christ apart as the Lord of their hearts live in such constant joy (loving life each day), will be asked about why they are so joyful all the time, and in those moments we need to be prepared to tell them that when Jesus is the Lord of your heart you become someone who loves life, and every day that life brings you.