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Wednesday, March 9, 2005

"Boundaries"

"See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.  For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess" (Deuteronomy 30:15,16).

Today my little girl turns 16.  She asserts her independence but also knows the safety of boundaries. However, like most teenagers it can be a struggle as she increasingly wants to determine what the boundaries are!

When we first moved to the Lancaster, PA area several years ago we were looking at the winding country roads and huge farm fields surrounding our rented 1890's farmhouse and she asked me a good question.  "Daddy, tell me where my boundaries are."  She intuitively knew the security she had in the boundaries I would set.  (And I'm very strict and protective). 

But far more important than that I hope she is always interested in what God's boundaries are for her life.  You see, God has set up boundaries expressed in different ways in the Scripture. There are boundaries of forbiddance such as "Thou shalt not" and there are boundaries of positive command such as "Thou shalt". 

Man's nature since the fall has always been to mess with these boundaries!  Just consider the world's problems in light of this. But how vitally healthy to recognize that these boundaries are for our good.

Although Moses gave the wonderful promise in the daily text to the children of Israel shortly before they entered the Promised Land it is also a great principle applicable to all of His children today.  You might want to scroll up and read it again. 

"Lord, today help me to thankfully recognize the boundaries you have loving established for me and help me to stay within them.  Amen."


Be encouraged today,


Stephen C. Weber

Note from Brooksyne:  When Ester asked her dad about where the boundaries are it's because she was accustomed to nearly 8 years of very restricted outdoor boundaries when we lived in Massachusetts.  We had very heavy traffic at the end of our driveway and it was not uncommon to have people of questionable character walk right through our yard.  So, when we moved to a house in the country here in Mount Joy, with land all around us, Ester had to actually adjust to her new freedoms of going outdoors without us watching over her every move.  God's blessings have been manifold in the restrictive setting we lived in and they also abound in our lives today in our present country setting.

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