We must recognize how terrifying this life truly is. Do not shut your eyes to its dreadful reality. Strangely enough, when we genuinely reflect on the journey of time and grasp how fragile life is, we actually begin to enjoy life more deeply. Sugar tastes sweeter, rendang is more delicious, family life is more beautiful, and even a simple meal together with loved ones becomes more meaningful.
Psalm 90:5 says: “You sweep people away in the sleep of death—they are like the new grass of the morning: in the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.” When we reach the edge of time, we realize just how true this Word is. Everything we have experienced on earth feels as though it happened only yesterday, and yet now it is all about to end.
Psalm 90:7 declares: “We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” This verse means sin never disappears from before God unless we deal with it. The passage continues: “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.”
Truthfully, it is not easy to develop a fear of the Lord. Why? First, because we do not see God with our physical eyes. Second, our surroundings are filled with people who do not fear Him, even perhaps our own parents do not know Him. Third, we have been shaped by false doctrines or philosophies of life that focus only on earthly matters. So how can we grow in the fear of the Lord? Begin every morning with prayer. Set aside daily time to seek God: reading Scripture, listening to His Word, limiting what we watch, and guarding our relationships. In this way, we cultivate the fear of God. Without such practices, it is tough to develop proper reverence for Him.
Psalm 90:12 reminds us: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Let us truly number our days. Reflect on how we spend our lives: are we walking in the fear of the Lord? This holy fear is crucial so that we are genuinely ready for the moment when God calls us home.
Think about this: when there is news of a massive protest, people rush to supermarkets, hoarding rice, oil, and other necessities in greed. But why are we not “greedy in the right way”—greedy to seek God, greedy to pray, greedy to read His Word, greedy for fellowship with Him? Consider also why Daniel possessed such extraordinary wisdom. The Bible records that he refused to defile himself with food forbidden by the Law, and this means he kept himself from what was unclean. Likewise, for us: if we desire wisdom, we must not allow unworthy things to enter our minds. For what we take in will shape the map of our lives, both in the present and in the future.
In truth, life on earth is only preparation for the real life to come in the new heaven and earth. The world can change at any moment; there is nothing we can hold as a guarantee. Therefore, do not neglect fellowship. Seek God earnestly. Live in the fear of the Lord. Serve Him in every aspect of life. Let God smile when He looks at us—because our lives bring joy to His heart.