“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14, NIV).
About fifteen years ago I was walking along the path of Muir Woods, just north of San Francisco. This place is home to some of the tallest and oldest trees in the world, the grand Sequoyah redwoods. God’s handiwork in them is truly magnificent!
As you can imagine the park wants to keep the trees free from vandalism, and even well-meaning tourists, so the path is roped off to keep people on the trail in order to preserve the pristine nature of trees and all the plants surrounding them.
BUT… then I saw it! There was this ONE HUGE TREE, deep into the forest where the entire trunk was hollowed out. I remember STANDING INSIDE that very tree way back when I was only seven years old! I thought to myself, “What a great picture that would make! I can have a ‘before and after’ from when I was seven AND again in the same tree, as an adult!”
Pretty soon a couple came walking down the path and I told them my story and they agreed to take my picture. After I scanned the distance for any park rangers, I gently and reverently eased over the roped BOUNDARY and stood inside the tree. I figured, “What could it matter? I understand and respect the park service. I’ll be extremely careful to get this ONE little photo.”
SNAP! Picture perfect! No harm, no foul. Then… BZZZZ! BZZZZ-ZZZ! There they came! A swam of angry hornets! I was lucky to get out of there with only two stings. The couple had set my camera down on the path – they were GONE!
God gives us BOUNDARIES. He expects us to stay within those boundaries. Many of the things outside of those boundaries are attractive, beautiful, and appealing. Unlike destructive or sinful things that we know we shouldn’t touch (and sometimes touch anyway) in many cases things off the path appear innocent, so we think, “What’s the harm in reaching for that?”
So, the question becomes, when I step over the boundary, am I doing that because it’s GOD’S WILL or is it because it’s MY WILL?
God gives us BOUNDARIES within which to walk in order to keep us focused on His will. He provides the ropes along our paths to protect us, so that we don’t wander into a hornets’ nest; even when our wandering seems innocent enough. Sometimes the exercise of our free will over God’s will can end up causing a great deal of trouble and pain.
God gives us boundaries for a good reason. To teach, to protect, and to learn to grow in our trust and faith in Him.
David McCall
Executive Pastor
