“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 33:6
Have you ever felt like your foundation is shifting? Maybe the very things or people that you’ve come to rely on are suddenly gone. Maybe your health or that of your family is stripped away in the blink of an eye. No doubt many of us today feel the ground beneath us quaking as we watch the news. The morals that kept our society grounded are now being called outdated. Those people upholding Biblical standards are being accused of hate.
As much as the enemy loves to see the devastation from all these events, it’s likely he loves the havoc it wreaks in our hearts even more. When we allow fear to set up camp within us, it is always the result of not trusting God. Isn’t that the enemy’s goal? If he can keep us from fully believing that God is in control and working everything out for the good of those who love and follow Christ, then he can sway us into choices that lead to our destruction. His strategies vary. He tempts us to ignore the major problems by choosing entertainment instead. We throw down our weapons and become ignorant of any eternal issues, choosing temporary pleasures. Sometimes he whispers to us our troubles and tempts us to believe we have no hope, leading to despair. Often, he suggests we fight back with our own powers, using our own knowledge, and “handling up” on the situation. All of these are born from fear.
The Bible says God is our sure foundation. We can base our every decision on His Word and remain steady. In fact, we can thrive- yes, even in the hardest of times. Though we may FEEL like the ground is shaking beneath us, we are safe on the Solid Rock. Isaiah 33:6 says He is a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. Think about that. He is our very salvation. Nothing else saves. No president is going to save us, no matter how many good decisions we think he’s making. No preacher can save us. And we sure can’t save ourselves. Only God saves.
So how do we navigate through these times? How do we return to peace and joy within our hearts? How do we avoid destruction? We go to His Word. We ask Him for His guidance. This verse states that He grants us wisdom and knowledge. This is wisdom and knowledge to know where He’s leading us and what He wants us to do at each moment. With the Word of God in our minds and the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we have all the security we need. What is the key to this great treasure? Fear of the Lord. Fear of anything or anyone else leads to our ruin, but fear of the Lord leads to our salvation.
Father, You alone are my salvation. Forgive me for those times I put my trust in anything else. Please help me to completely rely on You, giving up all my anxieties and attempts at control, trusting that You are my sure foundation. Tune my ear to hear Your voice guiding me. May my feet follow where You lead. In Jesus name I pray, amen.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations He has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Psalm 46