"Keep Holding On!"

"The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy." (Psalms 147:11)

  For those that don't quite know, Solomon was more than just a king, he was a Preacher; and God gave him great insight and talent to do just that! As to the measure of what kind of strength we might have to hold onto God's hand, that is not even something to ponder, because it is not about strength, it is about our weakness! To repeat the final proclamation, Solomon said, "Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) How's that been going for you? I don't know about you, but, "every secret thing," kind of raises some red flags in my life, or at least in the chambers of my mind. We seriously do not have a choice, not in the least! We must hold on, keep holding on, and keep reminding ourselves that we have got to hold on, at all cost! We can no more keep every commandant, as we can love our neighbor as our selves, let along love God as much as we should; so why does Solomon say that is the whole duty of man? It is really a matter of what the word "keep" means, and how that word matters to us, as His children. In a nutshell, this verses describes that matter! The Whole Matter! We fear God because we keep His commandment at the forefront of our minds, and His commandments constantly remind us how much we need His mercy! God is so good to us! There is where hope comes in to the picture; not that we hope to have something, but that we have been given something, so we are able to have hope...

"Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD harkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." (Malachi 3:16-18)