Snare

The Lord is my light and my salvation-- 

whom shall I fear? 

The Lord is the stronghold of my life--

 of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalms 27:1 (NIV)

Another source of fear in our lives comes in our relationships.  We may feel intimidated by others or afraid to confront.  We may become passive, not standing up for ourselves or what we believe in.

God is a God of justice.  It is his desire that each person be treated fairly and with respect.  He works in us to correct any situation that is not according to this standard. If someone treats us disrespectfully or with injustice, God is our advocate.  If we treat someone else unfairly, God will correct us. 

Understanding our position in Christ keeps us from falling into the trap of fearing others or giving them too much power over us.  God wants us to be submissive one to another, but it is a voluntary submission not something forced by fear, manipulation or threat. 

Putting hope and trust in other human beings can leave us disappointed.  Humans always fall short.  Perhaps you have been caught in the snare of putting too much trust in someone only to find that they have let you down. 

What others say and do doesn't really matter.  Well, of course, it does matter very much because we are so dependent on each other.  The difference is that if we have made God our refuge and strength what other people do will not have a devastating effect upon us.  If the unchangeable God is our source then from him we will gain the strength to do the right thing even when the words and actions of others disappoint or hurt us.  We may need to wisely confront, or to overlook but always with the strength of God's love dictating our responses and actions.

This is freedom from fear.  We know that no matter what others do we will be safe and secure in God's care and he will give us the wisdom to respond to each situation with love and peace.  This is the freedom of God's spirit.  Lord, grant us more of your spirit for each moment and each day.

 Fearing people is a dangerous trap,

 but trusting the Lord means safety. 

 Prov 29:25 (NLT)

The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.

 What can mere people do to me?  

 Psalms 118:6 (NLT)