Trapped or Trusting

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Proverbs 29:25

Have you ever allowed fear to get the best of you? Have you ever made a decision with a motive polluted by fear--fear of what people would think, what they would do, or how they would react? I have feared situations and people to the point where I became immobilized, confused, or many times, turned the opposite direction of where I was to be headed. As disobedient as that is, I find that I'm not alone. Jonah ran from God because he didn't want to be a part of saving Nineveh, Israel's enemy, and then have to answer to his people why he was the mouthpiece. Abraham lied to Pharaoh for fear he would lose his life on account of his wife's beauty. Peter denied Jesus, Elijah ran from Jezebel, David panicked and had Uriah killed after discovering Bathsheba was pregnant. All because of fear.

Fear will come knocking because we live in a fallen world. But the question is when it comes, what will we do with it? Some of us hunker down and cover our heads, immobilized and waiting for the storm to cease. Others of us pull ourselves up by the boot straps and attempt to take control of the situation in our own strength. Either way, when faced with fear, we usually take our eyes off our God and put them on ourselves. Proverbs 29:25 tells us that this fear of man causes us to shake, tremble, become confused, bewildered or even panicked. And because of that, we walk right into the trap. The word snare means a noose for catching animals. When we take our eyes off of God we lose direction, peace, security, and put ourselves in captivity. God's Word promises us that when we keep our gaze fixed on Him, our minds saturated with His promises and our hearts trusting in the Lord, we will be kept safe. We will be kept inaccessible, strong, and set on high. In Him, there is Security. In Him, there is Peace. In Him, there is no fear.

Lord, thank You for being my Security. Thank You that because of Jesus, fear does not have to dominate me in any way. Because I am complete in Christ, I am free to be who You made me to be. Give me the tenacity and devotion to keep my eyes and heart fixed on You.

Jocelyn Hamsher