God is particularly interested in what is going on within the heart of man. Specifically, He seeks for, and desires to find, TRUTH.
God wants believers to serve Him in truth. In fact, it is this very issue that will determine “of what sort” our work is at the judgment seat of Christ.
The God of the Bible is a God of truth. On the other hand, the Devil is the great enemy of truth. The Bible says of him, “there is no truth in him.”
Unfortunately, some Christians have become convinced that old age serves as a sufficient excuse for a lack of service to the Lord’s work. Granted, the field of one’s service may change, but there should always remain a willingness to serve. For instance, Moses received his initial call to deliver Israel at forty years old (Acts 7:23) but did not lead God’s people out of Egypt until he was eighty (Exodus 7:7). When he died at 120 years of age, he remarked that “his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated” (Deuteronomy 34:7). At forty years of age, Caleb received a promise from Moses concerning the possession of land in Canaan (Joshua 14:7-9). Forty-five years later, Caleb took possession by driving out the mighty Anakims (Joshua 14:10-12). Caleb did something in his old age that many of the young men could not or would not attempt (Joshua 17:13).
The connection of fear and service cannot be missed. Worldly fear brings bondage and hinders Christian service; yet godly fear encourages the believer to serve the Lord in righteousness. In our passage, fear is yoked together with truthful and sincere service. Three different verses in 1 Samuel chapter 12 make the same connection (1 Samuel 12:14, 20, 24). In Psalm 2:11, we are admonished to “serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” According to Hebrews 12:28, we should “serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” The fear of the Lord points forward to a time of judgment and reward. A man who refuses to fear God will never serve God with a sincere heart and pure motives.
