“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1)
July 26, 2021
The wise King Solomon once said, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth.” His words exhort us to live with God in our youth and the trepidation of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. (Ecclesiastes 12:1)
A God-fearing young man, like son of Jacob Saint Joseph, never runs away from sin, remembering that God is with him in every consign and in every state. Young Joseph became a diligent and hard worker, for he kept his Creator in his thoughts and so God exalted him. In the book of Genesis, the Prophet Moses wrote that Joseph was tempted to commit adultery with Potiphar’s wife which disappoints God.
Joseph refused to sin because he lived with God in his youth for he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39: 8-9)
Observing the proliferation of youngsters today who commit adultery with false and misleading speech and view, we realize their lack of Saint Joseph’s prominence and the fear of God. Joseph proved his faith to himself, to his master, and to his Creator. Thus, God remembered him when he was falsely indicted and thrown into prison. He thought God would not be caught in the snare of the world when he was tempted by sin.
One of the characteristics of remembering about God is good tongue. Prophet Nahum spoke well of God’s goodness, greatness, and stewardship for he said as, “The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.” (Nahum 1:7)
Uttering only of what God loves and permits is to remember of God. Now a days, as most seized to remember about God, every word in our speech is blasphemy, criticism, slander, rumor, slander, and alike. Accord, Prophet David Said, “Who have said, With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; Who is lord over us? For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy. Now I will arise,” says the Lord; I will set him in the safety for which he yearns. The words of the Lord are pure words. Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times. (Psalm 12:4-6)
A God-fearing young man knows what to say and His tongue is subdued. He does not utter words that frighten, aggravate, or divide people. He does not speak, shouting, harassing neighbors, harassing people, disrespecting and mocking others. He does not harm himself, his community, or his country by flawed speech. Because we have seized of remembering about God, we insult people, whether we have sinned or not. By one man’s mistake, we insult his father, his mother, his brothers, his relatives and his clan.
People have failed to see the negative effects that affront other people and the damage it brought on our country. Not few youths even insult the elders, make fun of the disabled and shamed the incompetent.
The wise Solomon’s words, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth” is for the days before the days of misery. It is not apposite to sin, heretic or deal with strain in our youth hood due to various drug addictions, alcohol abuse, other harmful alternative and as such. The cure for anxiety is to remember about God and live according to His will. The success of our ministry in the last days makes our lives meaningful with God in our youth.
Another reason by wise King Solomon as a reason for remembering about the Creator during his youth is stated as, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, I have no pleasure in them”: While the sun and the light, The moon and the stars, Are not darkened, And the clouds do not return after the rain; In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, And the strong men bow down; When the grinders cease because they are few, And those that look through the windows grow dim; When the doors are shut in the streets, And the sound of grinding is low; When one rises up at the sound of a bird, And all the daughters of music are brought low. Also they are afraid of height, And of terrors in the way; When the almond tree blossoms, The grasshopper is a burden, And desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, And the mourners go about the streets. Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,Or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1-7)
In the days of our youth, let us remember our Creator, the Almighty God, in all our ways and deeds, so that we may begin with conquest and finish triumph.
Let us utter God’s words and live under the trepidation of God!