Our Sure Salvation
Isaiah 33:2 & 6
2 O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for You. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.
6 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.
Verse 6 in Isaiah 33 says that God is the sure foundation for our times. Not only for the remnant of Israelites in Judah in the time of Isaiah, but this promise is also for us today. What a treasure, to behold this truth. We all need a sure foundation these days. Our lives are shaken by what is going on in the world. Over the last few weeks, we have heard all the atrocities that have happened in Israel and our hearts are very heavy as we grieve the loss of innocent lives. We cry out with Isaiah: “Be our strength every morning” while our list of prayer needs gets longer by the day.
God promises us that He is not only our “sure foundation” but also a rich store of salvation, wisdom and knowledge. The key to this treasure, Isaiah says, is “the fear of the Lord”.
What is the fear of the Lord? It certainly does not mean that we have to be afraid of the Lord, for God’s love for us is perfect, as 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear”.
To Fear the Lord means to honor, respect, and have reverence towards the Lord, to be in awe of Him. It’s a gift God gives us, not so we will cower in fright, and therefore distance ourselves from Him, but so we will rightly honor Him and believe He is who He says He is.
Do we trust the Lord to work out all things for our good, in His time, in His wisdom? Maybe we just want to rely on ourselves. Do we fear not being in control of our own lives and struggle with surrender? Psalm 25:14 says: “The Lord confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them”. In other words: He wants to confide in us as in a friend. Isn’t that so amazing, so incredible? Wouldn’t we all want to know God’s heart like that? God wants to reveal Himself and have intimacy with us, but only if we come before Him in humbleness, in holy fear, recognizing His glory, His power, His sovereignty and perfect wisdom in all things.
We experience His loving presence as our sure foundation in and through the many trials even if we do not always see purpose in the hardships in our lives or in the lives of those around us. In holy fear, we know that “…from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Rom 11:36)