The end of the matter; all has been heard. 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.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

It seems that, given the fact that we know that these words were written by a man singularly gifted by God with incredible wisdom and insight, we would do well to take these words to heart. These words are the culmination of Solomon’s search for the purpose of life on earth.

Fear God: As we know from Solomon, the fear of the Lord is the source and foundation of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). The reason for this is that, when we understand who God is, we understand our place before Him and how desperately we need to obey him.

Keep his commandments: The act of obedience is how we demonstrate our love for God (2 John 6). When we know who God is and what he expects of us, we must respond with obedience. The alternative is rebellion and sin.

According to Solomon, this is the motto of a God-honoring life which makes the most of the vanity of existence on this planet and stewards our time, resources and blessings well. A life lived this way will pass the final test of God’s judgment!

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The “Isolation Introspection” series started as an opportunity for me to encoruage members of our Bible Study with daily reflections from the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan during the 2020 “Stay at Home” mandate in Los Angeles. I’ve moved them here so that they can be shared easily, and perhaps benefit others. I hope you enjoy!