God's Boundary Lines

Ex. 19:12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye  go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:


In Exodus 19, we see Moses preparing to receive the law from God on Mt. Sinai. The Lord tells Moses to set up bounds around the mountain, because anyone who touches it will die. God is truly a loving God, not wanting to hurt people. If He'd wanted to kill people, why would He have told Moses to set up a boundary around the mountain? The boundary line was a warning sign "Stop! Go no further!" The people could roam anywhere they wanted and be perfectly happy. If they crossed the line, then their happiness, or rather their family's, would be gone.

As I thought about that boundary around the mountain, I thought about how God's Word sets up boundaries. Again, not so that we can be miserable, but so that we can be happy and safe. I was just trying to explain to my children two nights ago that God's "rules" are meant for our happiness. I used marriage as an example. If they choose carefully  and prayerfully in marriage, and keep their vows, then their children will never have to see their homes broken. It grieves me so much to see how so many kids these days get shuffled back and forth between parents and grandparents. Most of it could have been avoided if saved people married saved people. That's a "rule" given in 2 Cor.6:14. That's not given so that we won't be happy in marriage, but so we can be. How happy I am to go to church as a family! How wonderful it is to all gather round the dinner table each night and laugh and talk, to spend every holiday together, to enjoy sweet fellowship at breakfast and bedtime! It truly is a wonderful life, and it's all because of God's boundaries, the Bible. This fellowship can only be broken if I or my husband decide to ignore God's rules for marriage, if we are unfaithful to one another. As long as we "don't cross the line", or happiness, including our children's, remains in tact.

I have no idea what your marital status is, and I do not at all mean to sound critical if you have been divorced. If you've been down that painful road, then you can agree whole-heartedly with what I'm saying: Be careful in marriage! Perhaps you did marry right, yet it ended anyway. We are all sinners, and we can certainly suffer because of the sin of others. God knows who did the wrong, and He will take care of it. Keep going and keep serving, knowing that you are loved by the Lord. He has a plan for your life. Remember, you can only stay in the boundaries for yourself. 

There are many other "boundary lines" in God's Word. And let me say, I struggle to stay within some of them. But I want to, for I know that obedience to God's Word will produce wonderful fruit in my life. May we all stay within God's boundaries; may we stay in His Word.

I Want to Abide in Christ

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 


John chapter 15 is an excellent chapter! It has so many great things in it! If you have time today, read it over. It's only 27 verses. A couple of things caught my attention this morning. First of all, Jesus says to abide in Him, because without Him we can do nothing. You know, I've felt very powerless lately. Not that I can lose my salvation, but that no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to accomplish anything of true, or eternal, value. I got to thinking, maybe I'm not "abiding in Him"? I wondered how I could abide in Christ? Of course, I do abide with Him always as far as my salvation goes. I can't lose that. But Jesus seems to indicate it's something other than salvation. He says in John15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. So, it would appear that I can abide by obeying His commandments. By keeping His commandments, and abiding, I will also have full joy (John 15:11) The commandment that Jesus stresses that we keep  is found in John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Love one another...that seems to be the thing I struggle with the most!

So, to "abide", I must keep His commandments, particularly loving others as Christ loved me. If I do these things, He will give me full joy. I will also bring forth fruit, and that fruit will remain. (John 15:16)

One more interesting thing about this chapter, is that Jesus explains why we are hated. Let me say, I hate being hated! I want everyone to love me, or at least like me. I try to be thoughtful and kind. I do my best to go to a person immediately if I think I've hurt them in some way, and  apologize. I do all I can to keep and make friends. But, some folks just don't like me. Jesus says in John15:18-19 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 

I think that's pretty clear. We, as believers, are in the world, but not of it. We march to the tune of a different drummer, you might say. We are out of step with society at large. Our lives revolve around God's Word, God's House, and our families. Not climbing the ladder at work, not spending time on the lake, or buying the latest fashions, or whatever. This seems strange to the world.

Not only are our priorities different from the world's, but we believe there is a Heaven, and a Hell. People don't like to think that there is a Hell, but God's Word says there is. We had a lady leave our church because my husband said that a certain denomination rejects the Gospel, therefore, those people are going to Hell. This didn't sit right with her. She liked someone from that church, and didn't want to think about their going to Hell. Instead of witnessing to them, she left the church. I don't understand. It wasn't my husband's opinion, it was God's, based on His own Word!

I want to abide in Christ, not depend on my own strength to see things accomplished for him. Even if it means I am hated.