The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.          Proverbs 29:25

In the book of Proverbs King Solomon warns us about the mental, emotional and spiritual fencing we build because of fear. We erect a fence of words to protect ourselves from what others might think. We run behind a wall of busyness to hide. We lean on our position in the community to protect us from what others might do. But while each of our barriers seem good in our own eyes, God tells us that they operate like hidden snares. A snare works because it is hidden along paths we usually walk. Just as a bird puts its foot into the snare to discover the trap too late we need to be watching!

When I stopped this week to consider how I talk, I had to confess that sometimes I stretch facts because I am afraid of what others might think if they knew the truth. There have been times when I have omitted something in a document because I feared what might happen if every detail were known. Or I have failed to call a friend to apologize, because I was afraid of what they would say. These have all been snares in my life! I did not see them, but my loving Father in heaven did! He comes with His word, shows me the hidden snares and asks, “What are you afraid of?”

But instead of only disciplining me He gives me some good news in the second half of today’s verse; “But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe!” We do not have to worry what friends think, what neighbors say or what consequences we face; instead we can say, “But I trust the Lord”   God can free us from any snares. He will protect us and give us and keep us safe even in the face of our greatest fear!