MAR 30, MORNING

Ecclesiastes 12:13
Memorise Ecclesiastes 12:13
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God"

DO YOU FEAR GOD?

In Ecclesiastes 12:13, we come to the final summary statement of the book. Solomon describes this as the conclusion of the whole matter – that is to fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. This is really the conclusion that he had been driving at through the whole book. As he shared his experiences and observations about the world, he was drawing his readers to come to the same conclusion as him. As we studied through the whole book, we should have been goaded to this direction as well, to realise that if we live our lives apart from God, under the sun, then it is a meaningless, futile, vain life. It would be a life wasted, and one that does not bring pleasure to God. However, if we live our lives in the fear of the Lord, and obey Him in all that we do, then we will fulfil our duty as children of God, as one who remembers his creator in all that he does.

This idea of the fear of God is one that has been running throughout this book, and appears in these various verses: Ecclesiastes 3:14, 5:7, 7:18, 8:12, 13, and finally in this verse, Ecclesiastes 12:13. It describes the reverential awe and respect that we have for God, because of who He is and all that He has done for us. Throughout the Bible, men is also continually exhorted to fear God, for when we truly come before God with a reverential, respectful awe and holy fear, our lives will be set right before him. This healthy fear of God can only be had when we fully understand who God is. When we realise that He is the almighty sovereign God who is in control of all things. It comes when we yield ourselves to His control, and trust in His will. When we are able to acknowledge that there is a time and purpose to every thing under the heaven, and that it is God who has made everything beautiful in his time, we show that we understand God’s sovereign will in all that we do.

It is so important for all of us to have this fear of God. Solomon places this idea first in the duty of men, for he knows that if we have this fear, then all other aspects of our life will naturally fall into place. When we fear Him, we will want to live lives glorifying to Him, and we would want to keep His commandments. Thus what we all must do is to actively cultivate this fear of God in our lives.

Thought: Do I really fear God? Is it evident in my life?
Prayer: Lord, help me to fear Thee in sincerity and truth.