Jim Carrey, Pink Floyd, Solomon, & the GospelSample

Fear God and Keep His Commands

At Axis, we believe that reading the Bible in big sections is a great way to understand the message of a book. So for this final devotional, we encourage you to sit down and read the whole thing. It won't take long. In the remainder of Ecclesiastes, Solomon deals with injustice in the world, the triumph of wisdom over folly, and fearing God. However, if you can't do that then the last chapter of Ecclesiastes will do.

Overall, Solomon concludes that there’s a lot of ambiguity in our world. Sometimes evil prevails, but in the end God will bring everything to justice. Meanwhile, we should enjoy the life God has given us, fear Him, and pursue wisdom.

The final statement of Ecclesiastes is a great overview of the book:

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

As you follow God, and encourage your kids to as well, try to show them the big picture. Show them that fearing God, especially when they are young, actually leads to a deeper and more satisfied life. Help them see that following God brings meaning to the temporary experiences of the world and that wisdom is always better than folly.

Show them that living God’s way in God’s world leads to life.

So what does this have to do with the Gospel? The Gospel is not just good news about eternity. It is good news about our lives now.

Abundant life is accessible now.

Solomon only saw a shadow of what we now know because of Jesus. Jesus is the full representation of God. He showed us what it means to live in communion with God and be fully human. He was murdered by the evil of the world, but He was resurrected, He initiated a new kingdom, and He invites us to repent and join Him in His restoration plan for the world.

Start a Conversation:

• Do you think the Gospel is actually Good News? Is the Gospel only about “going to heaven,” or does it impact how we live now?

At Axis.org we create resources to help you connect with the youth in your life. The Culture Translator is our weekly email that gives you the choice of 3 brief conversations to have with your kids about teen culture and the Gospel.