Isaiah 33:5-6, NIV
“The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”
The word treasure can fire the imagination with pictures of wonderful and amazing riches; perhaps of finding a treasure chest buried under the ground full of amazing jewels and precious metals. But there could be few things more frustrating than having such a fantastic treasure chest, which you know is full to overflowing, but which you can’t get into – a chest that is securely locked and for which you don’t have the key! Having the right key would open up a hoard of unimaginable riches and treasure. Without the key, you cannot get the treasure.
Our Scripture for today describes God as being an absolutely secure foundation for our present circumstances, whatever they may be. It says that He is the ultimate source of salvation, wisdom and knowledge. These are spiritual treasures of inestimable value. But how can we access them and then apply them in our own lives?
We recently mislaid the key to one of the doors in our house. We have a box of old keys and I tried every single one in the door – but none of them fitted the lock. It was impossible for us to open the lock and go through the door. We needed to find the right key. Many people try to gain the blessings of God in their own way – but they fail because they do not have the right key in their hands.
Isaiah tell us in very simple words that the key to these priceless treasures of God is the fear of the Lord. Hebrews 11:7 tells us that it was “in holy fear that Noah built the ark”, which resulted in the salvation of mankind. God had given him a commission and Noah was determined to do what God has asked him to do in the way that God had said. Willing obedience to the will of God for ourselves and to the Word of God as expressed in the Scriptures are true hallmarks of holy fear. It is indeed a joyful thing to walk in the ways of God – but so many miss out on the best things in life because in their minds they create a god of their own making and have no fear of the living God.
I’m not afraid of God, in the sense of being frightened of Him. But I do fear not walking in His ways and doing His will. I know that if I choose to do things ‘my way’, I’ll very quickly get off course. The blessings God promises to those who do have a holy fear of getting out of line with Him are tremendous. Holy fear will keep us on track with God. It is the key to being blessed by having these precious treasures of God for ourselves.
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the incredible treasures you have reserved for those who love you and choose to walk in Your ways. Help me, Lord, to understand what it means to live in the fear of the Lord so that I will want to use this wonderful key every day of my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.