JUN 29

Ecclesiastes 12:13
Memorise 1 John 5:2
“and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

When we fear God, we will naturally have a desire to please Him. As a subject in the king’s court, who loves and respects his lord and master, he would go so far as to sacrifice his life for his liege. We should be like our Lord’s humble subjects, ready and available to do His will. But we may ask, ‘Where can God’s will be found?’ We don’t have to look very far, for it is all recorded in the book before us, in the Bible, the Holy Word of God. This whole book is the law of God, and within it are His commandments, precepts, judgments, ordinances, sayings and testimonies which we all must keep. If we say that we love God, we would then have a desire to keep His commandments (1 John 5:2). The word ‘keep’ here denotes this idea of guarding, taking heed to, to observe carefully. It is like a watchman who stands by the city walls to ensure that no one would breach the defences of the city. Likewise, when we are told to keep God’s commandments, we are to carefully learn it, apply it in our lives, and actively watch to ensure that we never break it. This is therefore our solemn duty that God has charged us with. We must never let our guard down, but always be watchful, sober and vigilant, and do all we can to make sure that we are responsible in the discharge of this duty.

Dear teen, is the command to keep God’s commandments something that you take seriously? Do you actively take steps to ensure that the life you live, the things you do, the places that you go to, and even the thoughts that you have are all done in accordance to God’s Word? Do you desire to please Him, to hate sin, and to walk holy before Him? If we truly understand this, then our lives would certainly change, for we will become more and more sanctified by His word, and our lives will become less and less like that of the world. When that happens, then we will truly be able to have fulfilment and satisfaction in life, for it is no longer a life lived under the sun apart from God, but it is a life lived wholly for Him! It will no longer be a life of vanity, but a life where we bring pleasure and glory to God.

Thought: Keeping God’s commandments requires active effort on my part.
Prayer: Lord, may You help me to have a solemn and reverential fear for You, that I would want to keep Your commandments and serve Thee in all that I do.