AVOID THE TRAP
PROVERBS 29:25 NKJV
25 The fear of man brings a snare,
But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.
One of the biggest traps that has happened to senior adults lately has been internet scams. By posing as authority sources, scammers have tricked seniors into divulging important private information and then used that information to steal funds. Public service emails by banks and other authorities are trying to warn and help seniors avoid those traps.
In our proverb for today, we are advised of a trap. And we are advised as to how to avoid being trapped.
The fear of man is a trap. Afraid of people and what they think. Afraid of what people will say. Afraid of the consequences if someone is not pleased.
The problem with all this fear of man is that it is a road to compromise. Fear of people creates an environment where we know in our hearts what is the right thing to do, but because of fear, we take another path. Just to keep people happy or appeased.
I heard a missionary once say that in some 3rd world countries, believers fear the raised fist. But in America, believers fear the raised eyebrow. That is, in essence, the fear of man. And social media has added to that fear by creating another layer of people pressure.
So what is the remedy? How do we, as believers, avoid the trap? The answer, at first blush, appears too simple. The challenge is in the execution, putting this truth into practice.
The greater our trust in the Lord, the less our fear of man. And the promise is that if we will trust, we will be safe. The Hebrew for safe is secure. Literally, it means to be set on high.
So, trusting the Lord puts us in a safe place. Set on high above the fear of what people can do.
APPLICATION:
Our trust in the Lord grows, and that's an important word, as we cultivate our relationship with Him.
It will not be overnight, but as we spend time in His word, prayer, and fellowship with those who do trust Him, the trust grows, and the fear shrinks.
Trust is the way to avoid the trap.
PRAYER:
Lord my trust is in You. You are the One who loved me and died for me. You are the eternal One and the only One qualified to judge.