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David's Deliberations . . .

The Stability Of Your Times

18 June 2006 In the days of Isaiah, the kingdom of Judah was facing conquest at the hands of the Assyrians who were advancing from the north, conquering one kingdom after another. In fact, the northern kingdom of Israel had already been taken into captivity. As Assyria drew near to Jerusalem, the people were undecided as to where to turn. Some advocated surrender to the Assyrians, while others looked to Egypt to stop the Assyrians. God sent the prophet Isaiah to warn the people to do neither, but instead, to trust in the Lord, not men. When all seemed lost, God would provide stability: The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the LORD is his treasure. —Isaiah 33:5-6 The NKJV speaks of wisdom and knowledge as "the stability of your times." Of course this is the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord. The NIV renders this passage as, "He shall be the sure foundation of your times." Though we live thousands of years since Isaiah's time, the encouragement he gave still rings true in our troubled times: the Lord provides "the stability of your times"! We face many disturbing things in life, some of which are common throughout the ages: sickness, natural disasters, death. Other disturbing incidents and trends are peculiar to our day and age: the threat of nuclear, chemical, or biological holocaust; environmental pollution; AIDS; cancer; heart disease; and drive-by shootings, school shootings, domestic shootings. All of these disturbing things can have an affect on all of us. For some, there is anxiety and fear, while others react with depression (our age has been called the "age of anxiety"). Even Christians can be affected. We may murmur or complain or feel a lack of joy in life. Some, however, do not seem to be disturbed by such things, though they experience the same things which devastate others: financial crises, diseases, disasters, uncertainties, and so forth. Somehow they still find cause for great joy and stability in their lives! They have learned to depend on the Lord for stability in life. This comes through wisdom and a true knowledge of God, which can help us through the difficulties of this life: by guiding and protecting one from the pitfalls of life (Proverbs 2:6-22), or by providing comfort and confidence in times of turmoil (Proverbs 3:21-26). God is willing to provide such wisdom to those willing to look to Him! (James 1:5-8) The wisdom and knowledge that God provides gives us strength to face the adversities of this life. While the salvation He offers gives us courage and strength to face death. Consider the example of Paul, who had a strong hope (2 Corinthians 5:1,5-8), which resulted in a positive attitude (2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Romans 8:31-39). The key to access this treasure of stability in our times is "the fear of the Lord." The fear of the Lord is a prerequisite to having wisdom and knowledge: it is "the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7) and "the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10). The fear of the Lord is also necessary to receiving salvation: to be accepted by God (Acts 10:34-35), in fact the message of salvation is sent given to those who have it (Acts 13:26). The fear of the Lord is also necessary for spiritual growth (Philippians 2:12). Here's why the fear of the Lord is necessary: 1) "by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil" (Proverbs 16:6), and 2) "In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence...a place of refuge" (Proverbs 14:26), and 3) "the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life" (Proverbs 14:27). Stability in troubled times will be ours if we do not lack the wisdom, knowledge, and salvation of the Lord. We may lack these things because we do not have the fear of the Lord! A proper fear of the Lord will prompt us to turn from evil and turn to God where we will obtain His knowledge, wisdom, and salvation. We can then say as the Hebrew writer: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6)

—David Carl Swanson