"The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso puts his trust in the LORD shall be safe." - Proverbs 29:25

We live in a day where riotous protest, shootings, and terror attacks have become part of the norm. As a result it is easy to be concerned about the fear of man as we try to live out our lives. Yet, while many live their lives in this kind of fear they have been ensnared by the horrible actions of a few. When this happens one becomes nervous, worried, and afraid. This kind of fear is obvious.

Nevertheless, there is a silent fear that is not so obvious and just as dangerous. It is a fear that has entrapped all of us into its snare on many occasions. It is the fear of "what-if." When we contemplate on a situation or a circumstance in our life, and enter into the hamster wheel of "what-if" it strips away any hope and trust in God. When our imagination runs wild with untruths we become entangled in the jungle of doubt ensnared by our own fears and we find many reasons to feel insecure and afraid.

However for the Christian we have a way of escape, and that is to trust in the LORD. We are to trust in His promised word that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We are to trust His promise to be our protection and our provision all the days of our lives. We are to trust in the LORD as our safety from all fear -- all fears within and all fears without.

So forget about the "what-ifs" in life and put your confidence in the sure promises of God found in His word. By trusting in Him you will be saved and kept safe from the fear of man.

During the building of the Golden Gate Bridge over San Francisco Bay, construction fell badly behind schedule because several workers had accidentally fallen from the scaffolding to their deaths in the horrible waters below. No doubt this fear of falling by the workers became a costly delay for this massive project. Finally, someone suggested that a gigantic net be hung under the bridge to catch any who fell. Finally in spite of the enormous cost, the engineers opted for the net. After it was installed, progress was hardly interrupted. Just a few workers did fall, but they fell into the net and were saved. The workers confidence in this large net to save them and keep them safe allowed them to concentrate on their work on the bridge. As a result fewer workers fell and ultimately, all the time lost to fear was regained by replacing fear with trust in the net.

Dear soul, the Lord Jesus Christ is our net under us to keep us safe. Reject all manmade fears and simply trust in the LORD.

David C. Hale, Pastor Email: reasons4believing@gmail.com