Wednesday, February 1, 2022

Listen to the Word

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.  (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

At the end of his quest for happiness, the writer of Ecclesiastes settles on this as the "conclusion of the matter," the main thing, our primary assignment: "Fear God." That's probably not the answer we would expect, and it isn't something we talk about very often. He doesn't mean that we should be scared of God, as if God were out to get us. He means that we should approach God with awe, reverence, and respect. We can't just mosey into his presence as if it were no big deal. We can't just take him for granted.

What does that have to do with our quest for happiness? Because God is the ultimate reality of life, we can't have real satisfaction unless we see him accurately. If we are fuzzy on who God is, none of life will be clear. We must see God as he is: his majesty is greater than we can fathom, his standards are higher than we can reach, and his power is more than we can comprehend. So we fear him.

Live the Word

Pick a random Psalm and read it, paying special attention to what it reveals about the nature and character of God.