"Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
You have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me
in pleasant places;
Surely I have a delightful inheritance."
Psalm 16:5 & 6
This has long been a portion of scripture that I have liked, largely I am sure because it is one of my Dad's favorite verses. Tonight at church Dad had a sermon/class on these verses. We like these verses because that is how we feel. God has blessed us over abundantly. He gives us a delightful inheritance. He loves us so much and takes care of everything we possibly need. How can we help but have our hearts overflowing with gratitude to Him. God is so Good!
One thing Dad brought up tonight and then I got to thinking on it even more afterwards, is how God gives us boundary lines. Sometimes we don't like boundary lines, they make us want to rebel and do other than what we ought to. Anytime God gives us boundary lines it is for our good. He wants only what is best for us and gives us boundary lines to make our lives better.
One of the areas that I was thinking about tonight where I am so thankful God gave us boundary lines is in marriage. God has a perfect plan for marriage. When we try to have a marriage our own way filled with all our selfishness it doesn't work very well, but when people follow God's plan for marriage, it is a beautiful thing!
A boundary line in Marriage that is often rebelled against is the Husband being the head of the home, the leader( 1Cor. 11:3, Eph. 5:22). I certainly haven't always been perfect at following my leader but I am working at it. This is a boundary line that I am truly thankful for however. I appreciate very much being able to have Ken to make important decisions and to lead in areas that I am not sure about. As in most healthy marriages, Ken and I discuss major decisions that are to be made and I pray about them but then Ken is left in most cases to make the final decision. For myself (as a normal emotional woman) that is very comforting.
Another boundary line in marriage that is often being thrown out in our day is that of being committed to only your spouse physically. Adultery sadly is very common. This however is not something God approves of (Heb. 13:4). I am so thankful for this boundary line. I can't imagine the stress there would be in marriage if this was something that was going on.
There are many other boundary lines that God has given us that are for our own good. What are some of your favorites and why?
Another one I like (I have not always liked this, but I now understand the importance of it) is the command to respect our husbands. Not because they've earned it, but because God tells us to. The book "Love and Respect," by Dr. Eggerichs, is a very good book about this (I would recommend every couple to read it). God created us, so he knows our deepest emotional needs. Our husbands need to feel respected, just as we need to feel loved.
ReplyDeleteThat book sounds interesting. I will have to try to find it. That isn't one I have thought about as often but I definetely can see the importance of it.
ReplyDelete