“That’s
the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his
commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do,
including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
These are the final words of “the
Teacher” as he is called. The Teacher is
King David’s son Solomon. He became King
over Israel and God saw fit to make him wiser than all men.1 Ecclesiastes takes a
rather pessimistic view of life. Solomon lived life to the fullest yet found that
nothing was new, neither was there meaning in anything. The above two verses sum up his
findings.
When we are told to fear God, it is not fear in the normal
sense of the word, but rather a sense of awe and reverence. We are to be in awe of God’s mighty and
matchless power and majesty. We see this
thru eyes of faith and not with the natural eye. Solomon tells us that it is our duty as
believers in God to obey His every command.
This may seem like shackles to the free spirited individual, but just
the opposite is true. To live according
to the standards of God is to find true freedom. For there is freedom in knowing you are in
right standing with God and pleasing to Him. The one who lives as he chooses
always has the noose of sin hanging over his head. This even applies to those who proclaim to
know and love God yet show nothing of that belief in their lifestyle.
Being told that everything we do or
say shall have a light shone on it isn’t a threat that demands right
living. It is rather a warning that we
can have nothing to fear on the day of reckoning if we submit to the will of
the Lord in our lives and follow the teachings of Christ. There is an old secular phrase that seems
appropriate at this time. It goes like
this: “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.” In other words, don’t criticize godly living
until you’ve lived it yourself. Those
who live for God with all their might shall live with Him in heaven for all
eternity. Until next time, walk with the
King and be a blessing!
NOTE: The NEW LIVING TRANSLATION has
been used for this devotional and has been published by Tyndale House.
1 1 Kings 4:29-34
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