God has boundaries. That is, he does not just flit about doing whatever seems alright for the moment because he is firmly secure in who he is and what exactly he wants. God is not okay with his creatures, us, having no boundaries. Since we are people created in his image, we are to reflect him in all things, including having the established boundary of taking charge of our own spiritual lives and obeying him in all things.
God has opened the way of redemption to his people, first in the incredible event of the exodus from Egypt, then in the culmination of our freedom through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore, God expects us to live into this opportunity without acting like all our problems are his fault. Just because God stands up to people and does not cave into their demands and their whining does not make him mean or unjust – it simply means he doesn’t need people to give him props. God is secure enough to not be dependent on humans.
God is quite clear on what he wants, and where the boundary lines fall: “You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.” There is no fudge factor to that statement, scratching our heads wondering what we ought to be doing. If we will obey God, we will experience life as it ought to be lived – free from all the machinations of sinful brokenness and insecurity, yet, securely confined within godly boundaries. God can tell his people to be strong and take the land because he has made it possible for them to do so. He has acted in history, and expects us to respond in obedience to the boundary lines he has established that will allow us to flourish and grow as people in a new land.
Great God Almighty, I choose today to obey you in all things out of the grace given to me because of Jesus Christ. I want to please you in all I say and do, so that you will be seen as the glorious and exalted king of the universe. Help me to live up to my standing in Christ in the power of the Spirit as I step into your world with the keys of the kingdom. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 