Relax and enjoy life

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “You made it! Now what?”

Our Bible verse for today: “The boundary markers have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” Psalm 16:6 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Relax and enjoy life”

In the Old Testament world land was a major indicator of wealth and blessings. Boundary markers identified the extent of your land. The term “boundary markers” was used to describe a tangible physical reality (the scope and limits of your land), but the idea of boundary markers was also a metaphor used to describe the blessing of God upon your life and it also described the circumstances of your life.

This is the way in which David was using the term in Psalm 16:6. God had given him a good life, and he was happy with it. His profession, his home, his family, his talents, his hobbies, his friends – all of it made up the structure of his life and he found it very pleasant indeed. I hope that’s true for you too.

But there’s also another way in which we can think of the boundary markers which God has established for us and that’s in terms of Biblical boundaries. In the Bible God has given us the behavioral boundaries within which he wants us to live. Those boundaries are quite wide, and there’s a lot of room for some very good living within those boundaries, but there are boundaries, and we do have to stay within them.

However, as I said, within those boundaries there’s a lot of room for some very good and enjoyable living. God is nowhere near as restrictive as we sometimes imagine Him to be. Dallas Willard once used the example of his young children at play in the backyard. The backyard was fenced-in (boundaries), and he expected his children to stay within those boundaries. But as long as they were within the boundaries, then he didn’t care if they were swinging on the swing set, playing in the sandbox, playing fetch with the dog, lying in the hammock reading a book, or sitting at the picnic table enjoying a snack. All those activities (and others) were just fine with him as long as the kids stayed within the boundaries of the fenced-in backyard.

Sometimes we make the idea of obeying God seem as if it takes big effort on our parts. We grit our teeth and resolve to obey whether we want to or not, “I’m going to do this even if it kills me!” Well, stop that. It’s a big backyard and there’s a lot of very good, very enjoyable life to be lived within the boundaries of it.

Enjoy the life God has given you. Be grateful for it. Just stay within the boundaries, relax, and enjoy.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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