“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” Ecclesiastes 12:13

Simple Truth                                                       

I am a simple and pragmatic woman. I often call myself a minimalist. I believe I came to be this way because in the beginning of my days I had very little—enough, but it was meager. For the most part I was satisfied with that. I had the necessities. I “made do.” I got by well enough.

Later on, I found having a great many things caused clutter. It was distracting. One had to maintain all that stuff and keep it organized and dusted and remember where it was stored away. And then I found myself in limited quarters and living space. There just wasn’t room for a lot of fluff and extras and overflow. So whether good or bad, I love simplicity, clean lines, a few good and well-chosen things.

I like to get down to the heart of the matter.  I want to know what is the point and avoid the rabbit trails and descriptive embellishments. Here in this verse I find a conclusion that sums up the entire Bible and the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a verse on which to build one’s life.

To do this, to fear God, you will have to know who God is. He shows you in ten thousand ways. He has given us revelation in creation, in His holy whispers to our souls, in the verses and chapters and books of the Bible. He is as near as your heartbeat. Read the Word of God daily. It is basic and essential to life. It is one of those good and well-chosen things to be treasured.

Keep His commandments. He calls you to a walk of obedience. He calls you to surrender and submission to His will and His great love. You can trust Him.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism states, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” This is why you were created.  This is your life’s purpose. It’s simple.

“Lord, thank You for Your simple words and simple truths. May we simply follow You until the very end. Amen.”