This week’s Crisis Counsels have focused on these verses in the book of the prophet Isaiah –

The Lord is exalted; he lives on high, filling Zion with justice and righteousness. God will provide security during a lifetime: a source of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. Reverence for the Lord will be Zion’s treasure.
Isaiah 33:5–6

Isaiah concludes by saying, “Reverence for the Lord will be Zion’s treasure.” As we noted earlier this week, “Zion” is the name of the hill upon which Jerusalem – and the temple – were built, and the name ultimately became a symbol for the whole people of God. It is highly significant what this verse declares to be the people’s “treasure.” If you ask people today what our nation’s greatest treasure is, they might speak of our economic strength, or our military power, or our natural resources, or our political system. But according to Isaiah, the greatest possible treasure is reverence for the Lord. Faith in God, and fidelity to God’s values, will provide far more value to a people than anything else! This is surely true for our personal lives as well. Jesus made exactly this point when he said, “Seek first the kingdom of God, and then all else will be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) We need to lift our hearts above all in reverence to God, for God’s grace is truly our treasure.

Prayer – Inspire us, O God, to lift our spirits to You in faithfulness and praise. Share on X

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About the Author

Dr. David A. Palmer has been the senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of Kent since 1995. He has a B.A. from Wittenberg University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Wooster, Ohio, he has served three other churches in east Ohio before coming to Kent. He and his wife, Mavis, have three children.