[Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Who do you fear?

By Oke Chinye

Read: GALATIANS 2:11-16

Meditation verse:

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

Fear can have either a positive or negative effect on your life. On the positive  side, it can help you steer clear of danger. Conversely, it can hinder your progress  or cause you to do things that are contrary to who you are and what you stand  for. The key lies in who and what you fear. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning  of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil” (Proverbs 8:13). 

This type of fear is liberating. It is a deep reverence for a powerful God and a  wholesome dread of displeasing Him. This type of fear causes you to abstain  from sin so that you are always within the boundaries of God’s favour and  protection.  

The fear of man brings a snare. It can prevent you from becoming who God  created you to be. The fear of man can become a “goliath” in your life and  torment you. It can make you afraid to speak up when you know you should or  lead you into wrong relationships. It can also cause you to lie or compromise  your values and in its worst form make you deny your faith in Christ. The disciple, 

Peter was a man with a tendency to display this type of fear. As a result, he  sometimes behaved in ways inconsistent with his faith in Christ. He denied Jesus  Christ before a little maid because he feared those who were in the courtyard  (Luke 22:56-57). Years later, whilst a church leader, he withdrew and separated  himself from eating with the gentiles because he feared those who were of the  circumcision. It took the rebuke of Paul to get him back on track. 

What type of fear rules your life- the fear of God or the fear of man? Jesus said  to His disciples “…do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have  no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear- fear Him  who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell: yes, I say to you, fear Him”  (Luke 12:4-5). Next time you are tempted to act in a certain way because of the  fear of man, ask yourself ‘what is the worst thing that can happen if I do not fear  this person’?

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

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