The Snare
Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.(NIV)
Proverbs 29:25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety (NLT)
Proverbs 29:25 People are trapped by their fear of others; those who trust the LORD are secure (CEB)
Recently, I had this epiphany of peace. It was a hurried, scurried scramble to get out the door that would normally have me in a tizzy fit kind of Sunday morning. One kid had his shoes on, and the other was still trying to find socks that didn’t have holes in them even though I argued it was Sunday and holy was ok. To my surprise, I responded with genuine gentleness and peace. I took it one shoelace and one frustrated stomp at a time. Instead of my usual, ”hurry, hurry, HURRY!”, calm came from my voice. It was great. I would like to say I am this way all the time… However, that’s not always the case.
As I learn to walk with God in the most Godly way possible, I get the joy of things being pruned, exposed, burned off and more. A lot of the time, the exposure comes in the day to day things like how I treat my family. I would like to say I am never crabby, but the reality differs. Sometimes my less than godly attitude can be attributed to the phenomenon called hanger… have you heard of it? Maybe it’s not enough sleep or time with God, but then it may go deeper into a place of strongholds that need to be broken.
About four years ago, Proverbs 29:25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe was highlighted to me as I was reading through Proverbs. Since that time, I have been working with God to remove fear, so peace and security stay. Because when I trust God, I am safe. According to blueletterbible.org, the word for safe is sagab (Transliteration), which means “will be exalted”. Those who trust in God instead of man’s opinion will rise above. They will soar! Isaiah 40:31.
Interestingly, as I prepare for this nugget, more and more gets exposed. I wrote this awhile ago and God continues to show me areas of fear. It started with big things like working for a church… what would my family think? “Big” things don’t seem as disruptive anymore. However, there is fear in the little things that I wasn’t aware of.
Back to that Sunday, I wasn’t concerned about what people thought of us being late to church, and because of this, our ride to church was peaceful. Mommy aka me usually would freak out because we were running late.
When we were running behind, I was very concerned about being late. Initially I didn’t know why. I just thought I was being “responsible”. God started showing me why I was concerned. Anxiety and fear talked. It told me people were going to judge me. People are going to think I am a terrible unGodly woman. LOL!
Reality is yes people will judge, but who cares. Why get mad at my family for not being on time because I am afraid of what people will think. It’s a snare. It causes all sorts of problems.
Should I be on time? Probably.
The freedom I felt when I didn’t care as much what people thought was liberating.
If I am on time because I fear what man thinks, it can cause problems. However, I can be on time because I trust God and want to honor Him, and I care about what He thinks.
Obviously this is relatively trivial in comparison to bigger things we may face. God uses these little lessons to remind me when I am facing a life-giant, I can still respond with peace. Truthfully, I don’t always respond with complete peace. Sometimes it takes me a moment or two or ten to remind myself that I can trust God, and I don’t need to worry about what people say or think. Some days are easier than others.
Another thing that may produce fear/anxiety is a spiritual element. The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 2:18 we do not have a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love, and sound mind. This tells me that fear can be a spirit. We can be attacked with a spirit of fear.
How do we overcome fear?
I get honest with God. It’s easy to act like all is well, but the Word tells us He knows our thoughts from a far (psalm 139)
I repent Sometimes it’s my sin that created the fear problem.
I remind myself of what God says meaning I stand on scripture. God’s promises start to become bigger than my problems, concerns, cares, and whatever else might be plaguing.
I get to know God and align my thoughts to His Word. In order to do that, I have to spend time in His Word and get to know Him. It’s hard to trust something you don’t know. That’s why spending time in the Word helps us to understand who God is.
I rebuke satan. Sometimes it’s a spirit of fear. In the gospels, Jesus shows us how to rebuke the enemy on numerous occasions. For the sake of this little nugget, I am looking at Matthew 4. Jesus responds to satan’s temptations and taunts with the Word. Jesus says it is written…
Lately, Psalm 147:11 …The Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love has been my anthem. When challenges arise or my mind becomes a battlefield, I respond with Psalm 147:11. God delights in me because I fear Him. I have reverence for Him, and I obey Him. When I don’t or I falter, I quickly repent. I trust in His love and commitment.
Life isn’t always fair, but God is always just and He adheres to His Word.
I encourage you to get honest with God, repent if you need to, know God, align your thoughts with His Word, and rebuke satan. Then watch fear and anxiety dissipate.
You’re Loved, Cherished & Redeemed,
Devyn Divine
