EcclesiastesSample

FEAR GOD

Have you ever been caught in a Texas thunderstorm without shelter? I remember fishing with my grandpa out on the lake one summer morning. With only a small chance of rain, we decided we could spend some extra time chasing schools of fish - no need for rain gear. The spot we chose took about fifteen minutes on high-speed to find. Sure enough, as the morning progressed, a storm formed on the horizon. “Papa, that storm looks pretty close,” I said nervously. He reassured me we would head back before we got wet. About 10 minutes and a loud clap of thunder later, we were caught in the front of a Texas thunderstorm. The waves were huge to my boyish eyes as the gut-wrenching panic filled my body. We finally made it back to the launch ramp safely, but any later, it would have been a different story.

In the same way, my grandpa and I were caught in a thunderstorm without shelter, King Solomon warns in Ecclesiastes, “...remember your Creator in the days of your youth - before the difficult days come…” (12:1). When we chase after things of this world without God we lack preparation for the days ahead - we are without shelter in the midst of a raging storm. Solomon consistently points to his themes of futility and pessimism throughout Ecclesiastes; but if we take a step back, we begin to see his concluding point. “Absolutely futile!” laments the Teacher, “All these things are futile!”(12:8). See the agony in his eyes; the loss of hope; the panic. This is the only response when we attempt to front the storms of life, or even the beautiful days, without God. In one final refrain, King Solomon, the man who had it all by earthly standards, admits, “Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: Fear God and keep his commandments, because this is the whole duty of man” (12:12). Solomon’s wise words promise not only preparation but purpose. It is our duty to fear God.

Fearing God is not to be scared of Him; rather, it is a reverence of His awesome power and mighty name. The God we serve is all-powerful, yet all close and loving to us. He is the root of our existence and the crux of our salvation. Take a look at everything you do in life: hobbies, work, sleep, time with friends, family, etc... What would happen if you took God out of all of those things and removed all-purpose from your life? Don’t let the childish fear of the approaching thunderstorm of life direct you. Fear our loving God and keep his commandments, for He is our purpose.