Isaiah 8:13, “Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” 

There is no substitute for trusting God. Sure, we may place our confidence and hope and loyalty in other people or other things or ourselves, but all the above has a short shelf life and limited ability to deliver. Not so with God. The Lord of hosts will either be our salvation or a stone of stumbling. Honor Him as holy and reverently look to Him above all others, and He will be your salvation. Do not and He will be a stumbling block (1 Corinthians 1:23). If we fear God, we will not fear man, but we will fear one or the other. There is no third way. Let us revere God and His Word and be prepared at all times to explain gentleness and respect the reason for the hope that is in us to all who ask (1 Peter 3:15).