Day 57 – The Evil of Fear of Man

 ‘The fear of man brings a snare: but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe’  Pr. 29:25 NKJV

I like this scripture in the Good News Bible, ‘It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe’.

Man is usually faced with the temptation of considering the opinion of others about our lives and the steps we take over and above God’s word to us. Put in another way – ‘what would people say’? Many are unable to put their whole trust in the Lord. They are concerned that people will consider them to be ‘stupid’ for trusting in the Lord; or for making decisions based on God’s word and direction. Does that describe you?

Our scripture reading today states very clearly that only if you trust in the Lord are you sure of safety! Common English Bible version puts this verse this way – ‘people are trapped by their fear of others; those who trust the Lord are secure’. To be ensnared by what man would say, to the extent that you can’t trust God completely would actually be a sin against God – God hates it when we compare Him with man!

Many times we know that God is leading us in a particular direction, but because it does not make common sense to us, and probably opposed to the view of someone we consider important, we are unable to go all out and obey God. This is being ensnared by the fear of man. This could be in the area of service to God, family matters, business concerns, or what have you. Think about it well right now as it relates to you; do you think you need to make amends in this regards? Then do so NOW! Never be ensnared by the fear of man’s opinion. God bless your day.