Fear Men or God?

Proverbs 28-29; Psalms 60; Romans 16 

“Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble…Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”

Proverbs 28:14; 29:25

Not all fear is the same. To fear the Lord is to live in reverent awe and submission to the Lord. When we sin, we are quick to repent because we desire the fellowship of God more than the pleasure or pride of sin. However, fear of man is a snare that keeps us from obeying the Lord and living in his will. Fear of what others think becomes more important than what the Lord thinks. We are ensnared by trying to please people rather than the Lord to whom we gave our lives. When we repeatedly resist the Holy Spirit, our hearts become hardened, and God’s voice becomes faint. When we fear the Lord like Samuel, our daily prayer is “Speak Lord, your servant is listening”. We fear the Lord by listening and obeying his Word to us.

Do we fear the Lord, or man?

“Lord God, speak to your servant this day. I will obey, for your glory.”