I’ve always tried to explain that rules are simply boundaries meant to keep you safe. My wife introduced a better concept to me. She said that rules are like a house. When you operate within them, you have protection from the elements outside. You have food and water with its walls to keep you fed. There’s also an air conditioner that keeps the climate controlled. The problem is that we like to go over to the window and imagine life is better outside the walls of the rules. When we go outside the rules, we open ourselves up to the weather, we have to search for food and water and we’re no longer protected.
God gave us a set of rules that are designed to operate like that. He offers us the choice between blessing and cursing, life and death. One is found in following the rules He’s asked us to live with in, and the other awaits us when we break them. In Jeremiah’s day, Israel had been living outside of God’s protection and the Babylonians had taken them hostage. In the book of Lamentations, he describes how hard their life is because they had broken God’s laws and had been living outside of the walls of His protection. In Lamentations 3:38-40 he wrote, “Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord” (NLT). He realized they were suffering the consequences of their behavior, but also knew God is full of mercy and grace.
Deuteronomy 28 tells of all the blessings and benefits of obedience. Verse 2 says, “You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God:” since the Garden of Eden, our enemy has tried to get us to see God’s rules as restrictive and played to our pride. He’s tried to get us to step out of the protection God’s laws give so he can devour us. The truth is God’s laws are life and blessing to us. When we choose to operate within them, and live the life He has called us to live, He provides all we need. If you’ve gone outside of His laws, it’s only one step to be back within them. Repentance gives us God’s grace. Obedience brings His blessings. In Him, there is true freedom. The choice is always ours.
Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 