|
XXX
Fence Me In XXX
Have
you ever owned a dog and kept it in your fenced-in
backyard for its own safety?
Steve Higginbotham has.
He writes: “We loved our dog,
Whitney!
We had a fenced in backyard where she could run
and chase birds and squirrels to her heart's content.
She was living a dog's life.
Pampered, petted, well fed, and loved.
However, one day she escaped the confines of
our yard, ran into the street, and was killed by a
passing truck. It
was a sad day for our family.”
Perhaps you can relate all too well to this
experience.
But
this article isn't really about a DOG - it's about the
purpose of FENCES!
The fence that Steve had in his back yard was NOT
an effort to punish or unnecessarily restrict his dog
from "enjoying the good things of life."
It was there for protection!
It was there for safety!
Placed within the confines of the fence
were ALL the things a dog needed for happiness.
The fence wasn't there to torment the dog, but
to keep her safe.
Unfortunately,
many consider the commands of God to be too
restrictive and burdensome.
Because of His commands, He is often viewed as
a cruel tyrant. Nothing
could be further from the truth....
God
loves us dearly!
In fact, He gave His own Son for us so that we
could become His children (see 1 John 3:1; 4:9-10).
Those who place their faith
in Jesus (Hebrews 11:6), repent
of their sins (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) in water for the forgiveness of sins (Acts
2:38) are welcomed into His family.
Yes, God has expectations for His children, but
these expectations are ALSO expressions of His love.
God
has "fenced us in" by His commandments, not
as a punishment, but as protection.
There are things out there in the world that
will ultimately lead to our hurt and ruin (see
Proverbs 14:12).
God is not a kill-joy.
The rules and regulations He gives us, which
restrict our conduct, are given with the intent of
protecting us from harm.
Within the confines of the Christian lifestyle
are ALL the things a person needs to be happy,
satisfied, and fulfilled.
But what do we do?
We escape!
We break through the barrier that GOD
BUILT, and eventually we get hurt.
How it must break God's heart to witness his
children "break free" from his constraints
only to be hurt from the dangers He knew....were just
outside his "fence."
How many things we suffer - by DEMANDING and
GETTING our OWN way!
Friends,
remember, the commandments of God are not GRIEVOUS,
but GOOD!
They are given because God loves you and wants
the BEST for you. Be
content and satisfy yourself with the good that God
provides “within His fences,” and TRUST Him
when he tells you - NOT-
to go BEYOND His limits.
God bless you.
David A. Sargent,
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
-- Adapted with permission by David A. Sargent from “Don’t Fence Me
In!” by Steve Higginbotham in mercEmail,
A Weekly Devotional from the South Green Street Church of Christ (see www.glasgow-coc.org).
To
Subscribe to "Living Water"
send a blank e-mail to:
HTML version: subscribe-livingwater@lyris.dundee.net
TEXT version: subscribe-livingwater-text@lyris.dundee.net
Follow
this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchsearch.org
Archived issues of "Living Water" can be accessed from our website
at: www.creekwoodcc.org
|
