HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 46
page A44
Boundaries continued
lost—a frightening and potentially dangerous situation. God’s commands and laws act
as boundaries to clearly mark life’s path before you. They protect you from danger and fear.
• PSA L M 2 3 :4 | Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are
close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
God’s boundaries are set for your safety and comfort. They keep you from harm.
• G E NE S I S 3 :4 -7 | “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your
eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and
evil.” The woman was convinced. . . . She took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave
some to her husband . . . and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and
they suddenly felt shame.
Temptation causes you to think that stepping out of bounds might be better than obeying
God. But just as Adam and Eve found out too late, giving in to temptation never gives you
more freedom. It just messes up your life and cuts off the blessings from God that make
your life worth living.
• E C C L E S I A S T E S 3 :1 | For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
God provides the boundaries of seasons and time. These provide certain parameters of
predictability for your life, giving you confidence that you can trust in his reliability.
What are God’s boundaries for me?
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• DE U T E R O NO MY 1 0 :1 2 | “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He
requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love
him and serve him with all your heart and soul.”
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These verses sum up God’s general boundaries for us. Keep within these lines, and God
promises you will have purpose and direction, blessing and joy. Your motive is not the
fence around you but the love for God within you.
• MI CA H 6 :8 | No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires
of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
When you do what is right (as defined by God’s Word), you play fair and develop a reputation for integrity. When you love mercy, you never take advantage of others. And when you
walk humbly with God, you realize you can’t take credit for your successes and that you
need to rely on God and others to help you finish strong. These boundaries don’t restrict
you, but in fact help you live an abundant and fulfilling life.
• J E R E MI A H 5 :2 2 | “Have you no respect for me? Why don’t you tremble in my presence?
I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters
cannot cross.”
God provides physical boundaries for our protection and our enjoyment. Fish do not swim
in a desert, nor do eagles fly beneath the seas. So also he provides moral and spiritual
boundaries. When we live inside of these boundaries, as humans created in God’s image,
we function most effectively because we are living the way God originally intended. The
more you understand why God created you and what he made you to do, the more life will
make sense and the more effective you will be in making an eternal impact.
What are the consequences of failing to observe God’s boundaries?
• J U DE 1 :6 -7 | And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority
God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained
in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. And don’t forget Sodom and
Gomorrah. . . . Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire
of God’s judgment.
• L U K E 1 6 :1 3 | “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you
will be devoted to one and despise the other.”
Life has just two sides. If you are not for God, you are against him. When you are against
him you are on the side of evil, even though you may not realize it. If God puts a boundary
around you, he wants to keep you from a harmful consequence: injury, emotional pain, and
even eternal punishment.