Anglican Daily Fountain 25 November 2023 (Devotional Today)
Welcome to Today’s Daily Fountain Devotional of the Anglican Church of Nigeria. Daily Fountain is a daily reading devotional for all Anglicans and Non-Anglicans to read, study, share and discuss the Word of God on a daily basis.
TOPIC: THE END OF THE MATTER
TEXT: Ecclesiastes 12(KJV)
12:1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
12:2. While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
12:3. In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
12:4. And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
12:5. Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
12:6. Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
12:7. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
12:8. Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
12:9. And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
12:10. The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
12:11. The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
12:12. And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
12:13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
12:14. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Anglican Daily Fountain 24th November 2023 STUDY:
The writer of Ecclesiastes never twisted the truth- he pointed out in this concluding chapter that too much study could be harmful, especially if it goes beyond the truth taught by God through His words. Concluding his long speech, he unfolded the basic responsibility of everyone to fear God and obey his commandments, for all shall be answerable to God in the end for everything we do. Young people were reminded that the youthful age will not last forever; the time will pass by and old age shall surely come when the desire for earthly pleasures will virtually disappear. God who gave life will take it back; life would have run its course but man will be answerable to God to receive the reward of what he/she has done.
Brethren, when you fear the Lord, you flee from evil and all its appearances. Joseph demonstrated this fear of God in the house of his Egyptian master, Potiphar; he didn’t only see sleeping with his master’s wife as sin against his master but as a great wickedness against God. Because Joseph feared the Lord, he kept himself away from the sinful act. When you fear the Lord, you keep away from wickedness, unfaithfulness, immorality and injustice.
Solomon as an experienced man who had tasted life, touched almost every aspect of life as revealed in this book, submitted that in life, the whole duty of man is to fear the Lord and keep His commandments because God will bring every deed into judgment, and every secret will be revealed. Beloved, let every aspect of your life be guided by the fear of God and let His precepts always be your delight.
PRAYER: Lord, give me a new and contrite heart to fear and obey you in Jesus name. Amen.
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