"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?" (Ps. 27:1, ESV).
This Scripture is worthy of meditation (of course, all Scripture is worthy of meditation). This verse reminds us of the source of our courage. We are not to find solace in our own strength, because our strength is insufficient for the calling to which God has called us in Christ Jesus. We need a greater strength than what we possess.
David reminds us that the Lord is our light. He is the ray of hope that pierces the darkness of our night and drives the shadows of doubt away. The Lord illuminates our mind through the Spirit applying God's Word to our life. As he enlightens us, we see the dangers of sin so that we can turn away from them. The Lord shows us the path that leads to life.
The Lord is our salvation. He has delivered us from sin and death. He has rescued us from ourselves. He has paid the penalty of our sin on the cross, and bore our shame. The Lord saves us to the uttermost. By his grace, through faith in Christ, we are no longer objects of wrath, but the objects of his love and compassion.
The Lord is our stronghold. He is the fortress into which we run when the minions of Satan lay siege to our life. He is the shelter in which we rest as the storms of life rage overhead. He is our stronghold. The Lord is fortress that cannot be broken into.
As David allows these images to swirl in his mind he comes to one ultimate conclusion: I have no reason to fear anyone. Why should we fear when the Lord is for us. If Christ is for us, who can be against us. The reality is that all the world may be against us, but as long as Christ is for us the world will not overcome us in any ultimate or final sense.
Your righteousness doesn't depend on you. It depends on the righteous payment of Jesus, who died in your place. Your success doesn't depend on you. It depends on the God who works mightily through you by his Spirit. As you seek to obey him, remember that man can do nothing to you that God does not allow. He will uphold you and preserve you. Don't be afraid, only obey him.
Showing posts with label Fear of Man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fear of Man. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Fear of Man
This article was originally published here, on November 21, 2008.
"The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe" (Prov. 29:25, ESV).
Do you worry about what other people think about you? Do you feel the crushing pressure to think, act or appear a certain way? Are you afraid to relax? Afraid to let people see the real you? Solomon tells us that this way of thinking is a snare. This way of thinking holds us prisoner to others opinions and strips us of safety. When we live in the fear of man we cannot please God. How different would the ministries of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, or any of the prophets for that matter, have been if they had let their fear determine what they would say and do? Instead of yielding to their fear of man, they trusted in the Lord.
Did trusting the Lord keep them safe? Yes and No. It did not keep them safe in the sense that everything was perfect. They faced ridicule, abuse, rejection, hardship, and so on. Trusting in the Lord did not spare them from the wrath of man, but it did keep them safe from the wrath of God. Their obedience was pleasing to the Lord and he preserved them through all of their difficulties and continued to care for them.
Speaking of the fear of man, Jesus said, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28, ESV). Jesus stresses the futility of fearing man by expressing the limitations that man has. Man can only kill the body. In one sense, the killing of the body is a temporal thing. It does not determine where a person will exist after death, only that they are no longer alive. However, God not only has the power to terminate life, but the authority to determine where a person exists after that termination. We creatures are finite by nature, and thus our actions against each other have only finite consequences. God is eternal, thus our actions against him have eternal consequences.
The fear of the Lord has to do with hating evil (Prov. 8:13), it is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7) and the key to insight (Prov. 9:10). The fear of the Lord is not fear in the sense of terror. The Lord is not like some masked gunman breaking into our life or some crazed axe-wielding maniac. The fear of the Lord is a humble submission to his sovereignty that produces a life of trusting obedience and dependency. It is a life that looks to him to see what should be done next, because he alone possesses wisdom. As we follow in his footsteps, he leads us safely in the paths that please him most, draws us to himself, and sustains us by his power. Don't give in to the fear of man; it is a trap that will draw you away from God and away from safety. Look to the Lord who lovingly sustains you, and rest in him.
"The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe" (Prov. 29:25, ESV).
Do you worry about what other people think about you? Do you feel the crushing pressure to think, act or appear a certain way? Are you afraid to relax? Afraid to let people see the real you? Solomon tells us that this way of thinking is a snare. This way of thinking holds us prisoner to others opinions and strips us of safety. When we live in the fear of man we cannot please God. How different would the ministries of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, or any of the prophets for that matter, have been if they had let their fear determine what they would say and do? Instead of yielding to their fear of man, they trusted in the Lord.
Did trusting the Lord keep them safe? Yes and No. It did not keep them safe in the sense that everything was perfect. They faced ridicule, abuse, rejection, hardship, and so on. Trusting in the Lord did not spare them from the wrath of man, but it did keep them safe from the wrath of God. Their obedience was pleasing to the Lord and he preserved them through all of their difficulties and continued to care for them.
Speaking of the fear of man, Jesus said, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28, ESV). Jesus stresses the futility of fearing man by expressing the limitations that man has. Man can only kill the body. In one sense, the killing of the body is a temporal thing. It does not determine where a person will exist after death, only that they are no longer alive. However, God not only has the power to terminate life, but the authority to determine where a person exists after that termination. We creatures are finite by nature, and thus our actions against each other have only finite consequences. God is eternal, thus our actions against him have eternal consequences.
The fear of the Lord has to do with hating evil (Prov. 8:13), it is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7) and the key to insight (Prov. 9:10). The fear of the Lord is not fear in the sense of terror. The Lord is not like some masked gunman breaking into our life or some crazed axe-wielding maniac. The fear of the Lord is a humble submission to his sovereignty that produces a life of trusting obedience and dependency. It is a life that looks to him to see what should be done next, because he alone possesses wisdom. As we follow in his footsteps, he leads us safely in the paths that please him most, draws us to himself, and sustains us by his power. Don't give in to the fear of man; it is a trap that will draw you away from God and away from safety. Look to the Lord who lovingly sustains you, and rest in him.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Desiring the Praise of Men
"For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God" (John 12:43).This passage expresses a sad truth. In Jesus' day there were many who preferred the praise of men over the praise of God. That is, they would rather be praised (glorified) by men, rather than be praised (glorified) by God. Unfortunately, this is still true today.
The desire to be thought well of by the people around us is a powerful desire. We may not even know the people around us, but we still want them to have a high opinion of us. Have you ever been in a store and noticed two non-English speakers looking at you and having a conversation? Do you ever think they are discussing you? If they laugh, do you wonder if they are laughing at you? Have you ever done something you really didn't want to do, because someone teased you into it?
Maybe the fear of man/desire for man's praise affects you in different ways, but I doubt that you aren't in some way influenced by it. I really believe almost every one struggles with it. The desire itself isn't all bad. Wanting your neighbors to think you are a good neighbor, because you try to be a good neighbor isn't a bad thing. Being willing to reject God so that your neighbors won't think you're a fanatic, is wrong.
These individuals that John describes in this passage had come to believe (at least intellectually) that Jesus was exactly who he said he was. They understood that his miracles were a sign that God was working through him. Yet, they would publicly follow him, because they would get kicked out of the synagogue. They chose a den of hypocrites over the eternal Son of God.
We would say, "I wouldn't ever do that!" But how many times have we had the opportunity to tell someone about Jesus and chickened out? Most of us have already done it and probably more than once. May the Lord create and sustain in us a greater desire for his praise over the praise of men. We only have to please One. If the world doesn't like it, we lose nothing. If the Lord isn't pleased, we lose everything. Don't let the fear of man trip you up.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Fear of Man
"The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe" (Prov. 29:25, ESV).
Do you worry about what other people think about you? Do you feel the crushing pressure to think, act or appear a certain way? Are you afraid to relax? Afraid to let people see the real you? Solomon tells us that this way of thinking is a snare. This way of thinking holds us prisoner to others opinions and strips us of safety. When we live in the fear of man we cannot please God. How different would the ministries of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, or any of the prophets for that matter, have been if they had let their fear determine what they would say and do? Instead of yielding to their fear of man, they trusted in the Lord.
Did trusting the Lord keep them safe? Yes and No. It did not keep them safe in the sense that everything was perfect. They faced ridicule, abuse, rejection, hardship, and so on. Trusting in the Lord did not spare them from the wrath of man, but it did keep them safe from the wrath of God. Their obedience was pleasing to the Lord and he preserved them through all of their difficulties and continued to care for them.
Speaking of the fear of man, Jesus said, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28, ESV). Jesus stresses the futility of fearing man by expressing the limitations that man has. Man can only kill the body. In one sense, the killing of the body is a temporal thing. It does not determine where a person will exist after death, only that they are no longer alive. However, God not only has the power to terminate life, but the authority to determine where a person exists after that termination. We creatures are finite by nature, and thus our actions against each other have only finite consequences. God is eternal, thus our actions against him have eternal consequences.
The fear of the Lord has to do with hating evil (Prov. 8:13), it is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7) and the key to insight (Prov. 9:10). The fear of the Lord is not fear in the sense of terror. The Lord is not like some masked gunman breaking into our life or some crazed axe-wielding maniac. The fear of the Lord is a humble submission to his sovereignty that produces a life of trusting obedience and dependency. It is a life that looks to him to see what should be done next, because he alone possesses wisdom. As we follow in his footsteps, he leads us safely in the paths that please him most, draws us to himself, and sustains us by his power. Don't give in to the fear of man; it is a trap that will draw you away from God and away from safety. Look to the Lord who lovingly sustains you, and rest in him.
Do you worry about what other people think about you? Do you feel the crushing pressure to think, act or appear a certain way? Are you afraid to relax? Afraid to let people see the real you? Solomon tells us that this way of thinking is a snare. This way of thinking holds us prisoner to others opinions and strips us of safety. When we live in the fear of man we cannot please God. How different would the ministries of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, or any of the prophets for that matter, have been if they had let their fear determine what they would say and do? Instead of yielding to their fear of man, they trusted in the Lord.
Did trusting the Lord keep them safe? Yes and No. It did not keep them safe in the sense that everything was perfect. They faced ridicule, abuse, rejection, hardship, and so on. Trusting in the Lord did not spare them from the wrath of man, but it did keep them safe from the wrath of God. Their obedience was pleasing to the Lord and he preserved them through all of their difficulties and continued to care for them.
Speaking of the fear of man, Jesus said, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28, ESV). Jesus stresses the futility of fearing man by expressing the limitations that man has. Man can only kill the body. In one sense, the killing of the body is a temporal thing. It does not determine where a person will exist after death, only that they are no longer alive. However, God not only has the power to terminate life, but the authority to determine where a person exists after that termination. We creatures are finite by nature, and thus our actions against each other have only finite consequences. God is eternal, thus our actions against him have eternal consequences.
The fear of the Lord has to do with hating evil (Prov. 8:13), it is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7) and the key to insight (Prov. 9:10). The fear of the Lord is not fear in the sense of terror. The Lord is not like some masked gunman breaking into our life or some crazed axe-wielding maniac. The fear of the Lord is a humble submission to his sovereignty that produces a life of trusting obedience and dependency. It is a life that looks to him to see what should be done next, because he alone possesses wisdom. As we follow in his footsteps, he leads us safely in the paths that please him most, draws us to himself, and sustains us by his power. Don't give in to the fear of man; it is a trap that will draw you away from God and away from safety. Look to the Lord who lovingly sustains you, and rest in him.
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