“Only he who believes is obedient and only he who is obedient believes.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“He will be the sure foundation of 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

Is God’s treasure my treasure?

The Bible was the first book I ever read cover to cover. In my early twenties I was intrigued by how often the God of love in the Bible speaks of a “holy fear” that is His treasure. I felt I lacked this virtue and became desperate for more of it.

During our first 10 years as missionaries in Honduras, I found very few books about the fear of the Lord. In Ecuador, in 1987, I decided to print out all 187 Bible passages that refer to it and spent six months reading and meditating on them. This helped me understand God’s treasure in a deeper way.

One Saturday morning I came into the kitchen where Helen was cooking a batch of her wonderful pancakes for the six of us. She knew how intensely I’d been studying this awesome subject and listened expectantly as I shared some of my discoveries.

She said it reminded her of when she left her home in Spain, at age 18, to begin studies at Mississippi College. Her first dorm-mates invited her to go out partying with them, but something had detained her. She really wanted to please them, but the question came to her mind, “How would my daddy feel if he knew I was doing this?”

My mouth dropped open! She had summed it up. Her dad and mom had poured so much love into her that it caused her to love them in such a way that she wouldn’t do anything that would hurt them. Her love (“holy fear”) for her dad and mom caused her to repulse what they didn’t like. “The fear of the Lord abhors evil” (Pro.8:13 Spanish RV60).

In the same way that little children get nauseated by food they don’t like, we get sick at what our heavenly Daddy inside us doesn’t like. Morality is learned by relating with society–the fear of the Lord is learned by personally relating with God. Spending time with Him causes this treasure to permeate our soul. Those who don’t give God the opportunity to relate with them rarely learn His holy fear, even though they’ve been born again. “And when you’ve sought for it with all your heart, then you’ll understand the fear of the Lord.” (Pro.2:1-5 synthesized).

True prosperity only comes by a humble fear of the Lord (Dt. 5:29). Our Father offers us three primary ways to learn His holy fear: by worshiping Him, studying His Word to do it, and by tithing (Dt.10:20; 14:23, 17:19; 31:12-13). These three transform our spirit, soul, and body, making us disciples of the Way. As we worship the Triune Yahweh, privately and corporately, we experience his glory and are filled with awe at who He is. Private prayer is the product of private worship.

If we truly connect with God in our study of His Word, our identity in Him grows. As we tithe in our church, we relate with our Father as the source of our life. The more we see Him as He truly is, and become obedient to His Spirit, the more we receive His holy fear and are moved by what moves Him.

“They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!  Just and true are Your ways, O King of saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?’” Rev.15:3-4

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, You are worthy of our heart. May Your priorities be ours. May we be sensitive to how You are serving those around us and flow with You in that, beginning with our family. May we enjoy more of Your treasure—Your holy fear.