Different circumstances, same conclusion

In the books of Job and Ecclesiastes, two important Biblical figures reflect on the meaning and purpose of life. The circumstances in which they find themselves differ drastically. Job has lost his earthly possessions, his family, and his bodily health. Solomon, on the other hand, is enjoying the pinnacle of earthly prosperity and celebrity.

Yet despite those different circumstances, both Job and Solomon, as they reflect upon life, reach the exact same conclusion!

In Ecclesiastes 12:13 (KJV), Solomon succinctly summarizes his reflections,

Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

And in Job 28:28 (KJV),

Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Those passages show two things. First, the meaning and purpose of life is not complicated: fear God and obey him. Second, that conclusion applies regardless of our life circumstances. Whether we sit on top of the world like Solomon or suffer in the depths of agony like Job, our mission is the same: fear God and obey him.