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Friday,
March
12,
2021
"The
Key To This Treasure"
Message
summary: In recent decades the love and
grace of God has been the chief theme to the point
of completely de-emphasizing the proper
understanding of the fear of the Lord. Both themes
are essential and part of Biblical revelation.
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to this message on your audio player.
"The Lord is exalted for He dwells on high. 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" (Isaiah 33:5,6).
"The Lord is exalted for He dwells on high. 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" (Isaiah 33:5,6).
Many
of us recall when we carried a number of keys
around, car key(s), house key, etc. Now we have
electronic fobs for our cars and the only key I
still carry is for a bike lock. Even our main
house door has a numeric key pad. So we hope
today's illustration is not too dated!
Many years ago I
had a very embarrassing moment.
I took my family to a concert in Hershey and when
it was over we walked out in the night to the
large parking lot preparing to leave. Recalling
the general area I had parked in, I spotted our
car but when I inserted the key it just wouldn’t
fit in, neither the driver’s door nor the
passenger door. (This is a rather dated
illustration since most no longer use a key to
open their car door these days!)I tried several times without success; I thought there must be something wrong with the key so I attempted to find my hidden key, but it was also not in the place I had hidden it. I went back to the driver’s door and again frustratingly tried to make the key work when a man hollered, "Hey, what are you doing trying to get into my car?" while Ester said at the same time, "Daddy, this isn’t our car". We walked over to our almost identical car, parked only about ten spaces away and the key worked just fine!
The world offers plenty of keys that
people believe will meet their deepest needs in
life such as love, joy and peace, but all in
futility, for they go through life using the wrong
key or looking for their answers in the wrong
place. In life it's vital to have the right key to
the treasure chest of God's salvation and all the
blessings that flow thereof. The daily verse is a real gem. It’s one of those great treasures found deep in the Old Testament. The Lord is exalted and dwells on high. Today, some 2,700 years after Isaiah wrote today's text, our God is still exalted and dwelling on high! He ever remains, "the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge". Isn't that an assuring truth for the age we live in? The text calls this a "treasure".
What a blessed treasure we long for, to be settled on a firm foundation in these tumultuous times where we can draw from a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge. This is an expression of our deepest need and greatest treasure.
But today we will especially focus on the last clause which is the key to this treasure but is so lost by the majority in this world, and I earnestly feel many in the church and professing Christians as well. "The fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure". Indeed the very notion of “fearing the Lord” seems archaic to many in our generation.
The late Bible teacher Jerry Bridges writes, "There was a time when committed Christians were known as God-fearing people. This was a badge of honor, but somewhere along the way we lost it. Now the idea of fearing God, if thought of at all, seems like a relic from the past."
It
is my observation that the fear of the Lord is
under-emphasized and in some settings never
mentioned. It seems there is always a struggle for
balance in Christian theology. In sermons of
the past it seems as if the "fear of the Lord" was
pounded from the pulpit Sunday after Sunday.
Hellfire and brimstone sermons seemed to be the
recurring theme and at times presented an
unhealthy fear of a loving God which brought
little peace or needed security to the believer.However in recent decades the love and grace of God has been the chief theme to the point of completely de-emphasizing the proper understanding of the fear of the Lord. Both themes are essential and part of Biblical revelation.
A study Bible gives this helpful insight to the meaning of the fear of the Lord. “A reverent awe of God’s power, majesty and holiness produces in us a holy fear of transgressing His revealed will; such reverence is essential to gaining a heart of wisdom. The New Testament indicates that the sincere fear of the Lord in our hearts will be accompanied by the comfort of the Holy Spirit.”
Many years ago I developed a sermon on the need to have a healthy, holy fear of God and I earnestly believe this healthy, holy fear is vitally needed for our generation. Today let us walk in His love with fear and reverence toward Him for the Bible says, “Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways” (Psalm 128:1). That is the key to this treasure.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, our
generation seeks more and more knowledge all the
while exercising less and less restraint toward sins
that grieve Your heart. In our information age
knowledge is promoted as the key to success,
fulfillment, happiness and financial security and
yet we see so many educated people lacking in these
areas. While higher education is important, godly
wisdom and biblical understanding are the
foundational tools by which we accept or reject
current philosophies, basic principles, human
traditions, and the practices of our day. Your Word
helps us to interpret knowledge that is ever
changing so that we are careful to build our
foundation upon You, the unchanging Solid Rock. Any
other foundation will sink when the rain falls, the
streams rise, and the assaulting winds blow and beat
against that which we have worked so hard to
build. We choose to love You and have a
healthy fear of going against Your prescribed will
for our lives. Amen.Today's
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Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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