Trust and Obey

Trust and Obey

Ecclesiastes is a book in the Bible that I wasn’t fond of until I went through a traumatic period in my life.  The Lord led me to this very place to find comfort and guidance. I felt the Holy Spirit led me to read its entirety.

Solomon described life as being vanity (emptiness or futility), and it resonated with me. At that moment, I wanted to understand the reason for what was happening, would God rescue me from the circumstances, and what was I to do. Trudging through the chapters, I realized that I would never be able to justify, simplify, or identify the situation’s purpose or my need to control things.

This whole book points out that what happens in life doesn’t always seem fair to us. In spite of all that we have experienced through hardships and lose we have and will face if we want to keep our joy, it is important to focus on the Lord for help and direction.

Now as I am aging, I see that some things get better and others much more difficult. Searching for the meaning of difficult issues only stirs discomfort. In chapter 12 there is a reckoning with where I am now. These are things I am beginning to experience what most of us will come to eventually:

·        It is harder to maintain a household when we experience physical limitations.

·        Our teeth are weakened or filled in with implants, etc.

·        Our eyes are not as strong as they once were.

·        Sleep is not always as good as it once was so that even the song of a bird wakens us.

·        We move slower – like a grasshopper dragging along the way.

·        We sometimes lose our desire to be here on this earth any longer and eagerly await heaven as our home.

·        And as we assess our lives it may seem as though nothing has much meaning in this world. 

             When I came to Ecclesiastes 12:13, at my original read, I was pulled up short of my self-pity and grumbling thoughts of life being over! Instead, the words on the page almost jumped off the page:

“Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of all mankind.”

Rather like Job’s message, I felt the Holy Spirit was telling me:

 “You might not like life this way. It may not make sense to you, but it does to Me.  So here is what you need to do, don’t try to understand it all. Just accept where you are.  Trust Me and honor me with your obedience. It is all I ask of you. I love you, and I am with you through all your experiences.”

It is easy to get caught up in our limitations, but no matter where we are in life, we are to maintain our focus upward - on God.  My relationship with and response to God is richer because of this message. He knows and holds me tenderly through all of life. I am confident that He lovingly does this for all of His children.

May your walk with the Lord be enriched because you love, trust, honor, and obey the God who is, was, and will ever be.

By: Joy Pedersen