Fences

 Come sit with me for a bit, I want to tell you a story about a man and his prized sheep. This man really cared for his sheep and had them all fenced in, but one day he went out to check on them and they had jumped the fence and was grazing on the other side. Well, he pondered on this a while and decided he’d just expand the fence line, thinking surely this will keep the sheep in. Now I think you may know where I’m going with this.

  You see we are as the sheep….Jesus our Shepherd has us all fenced in, separated unto Him, holy, sanctified with His blood, the Holy Ghost and our prayers. But sometimes we start to thinking and we get to looking at the other side of the fence, and start longing for what’s on the other side so we begin to expand our fences, moving out into the world just a little. We begin to think well it’s alright to do this or it’s alright to do that, we don’t have to go to church, we don’t have to read the word or pray as much after all we’re living under grace now and all that doesn’t apply to us anymore. That’s old school, old covenant, we’re under a new covenant. You know it starts out as little things….well I’m tired and I feel like sleeping in, it won’t hurt for me to miss one Sunday or I’m too tired to pray tonight I’ll make it up tomorrow night.

 I don’t want to come across as an uptight old Ms. Don’t, you know the type, don’t do this don’t do that kind of person. But trust me when I say, this lady has walked this Christian journey for a long time. And I have been there done that. It’s the little foxes that destroy the vines. You see the little foxes can’t reach the top of the vine so they nibble away at the bottom a little at a time until the vine is completely destroyed. That’s how we let the ‘little’ things destroy our walk with God, a little at a time.

 Well, back to my story…that man expanded his fences but one day he went to check on his sheep, that’s right you guessed it, they had once again jumped the fence and was grazing on the other side. You know there’s something about grazing… When sheep graze they eat a little here, or nibble a little there. Come on, you folks know where I’m going with this….Oh, I wish I had a witness! Now I know none of you have ever wondered what it was like on the other side of the fence, you folks are too holy for that, right? *smile*

 One time I thought along those same lines. I won’t go there, but you know what I’m talking about….Come on now!..Somebody praise God and give Him some glory!…Well, that man just decided that there wasn’t no fence going to keep the sheep in so he just took down all the fences. But let me tell you something beloved…fences aren’t there just to keep things in, they are there also to keep things out. Hallelujah! One night that man was sitting at home watching the ballgame on TV and he got a phone call….Hey, buddy you better get down here real quick, a pack of wild dogs just killed every one of your sheep! Sad thing, but you see my friends if we keep wondering about, and nibbling our way toward the other side, we eventually destroy or remove all our fences and open up ourselves to be attacked and even killed by the enemy of our soul. The bible says the devil is as a roaring lion (or wild dog) roaming about seeking whom he may devour or destroy. So I beseech you little flock keep that fence up! Keep praying, keep reading the word, stay inside the fence of the blood of the precious Lamb of God. That’s what the blood’s for! You see, that old toothless lion can’t cross the blood line, he can’t jump the fence that God has built around you.  Holiness is a hedge no serpent can slither through!

 Let me leave you with this thought….the bible says without holiness no one will see the face of God! The bible says be ye holy as I am holy! The bible says you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging (separated, fenced in) to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. So get out there, walk in the Light and be a light to somebody.

I love you and Jesus loves you!

In His love,
Elizabeth