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, NIV)
Promises, promises.
This might be the best way to describe the many golf advertisers who assure you that their product will make you more outstanding…
…at driving it far.
…at chipping it close.
…at neatly escaping the sand.
…at sinking every putt.
We all pride ourselves on being smart enough to know these products can only take us so far. It is golf after all. You can’t pay for magic.
But do we recognize that golf ads aren’t any different than the many other ads in the world, which come with promises all their own? They will make you outstanding…
…at self-control.
…at DIY projects.
…at sex.
…at financial investments.
That God can supply all our needs should give us both a deep appreciation of his love for us and the overwhelmed realization that he is capable of such greatness.
We get it, of course. Who doesn’t want to be outstanding? At least that’s the way we look at like when we’re young. But as the years go on, we understand more and more that there are limitations to everything. In a candid interview before the PGA Championship last month, three-time major champion Padraig Harrington said, “As you get a little bit older and you get all this experience, on paper people might think you get better with experience, but you’ve seen a few things that you know in your game that you probably never wanted to see, so you kind of lose that little bit of, I suppose, innocence.” Life comes at us just the same. We lose and learn and change and grow.
So what is the key to outstanding? What will cause us to rise above the world’s average? Scripture gives us an answer through the prophet Isaiah, who said the “sure foundation” and the “rich store of salvation and knowledge and wisdom” were unlocked by this: the fear of God.
What is the fear of God exactly? It is, we might say, an extreme deference fed by awe and respect. God can supply all our needs should give us both a deep appreciation of his love for us and the overwhelmed realization that he is capable of such greatness.
Salvation and knowledge and wisdom are treasures. The key to attaining them does not lie with you or with any hollow promise. It lies with the God of the universe, the one whose every attribute extends infinitely. When this awareness blows your mind, he fills it again with outstanding understanding.
—
Jeff Hopper
June 29, 2021
Copyright 2021 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.