Living Within God's Boundaries

The first year my Pastor husband was in seminary we had 4 jobs between the two of us to make ends meet.  The second year we thankfully bumped down to 2 jobs.  After seminary we added children to the mix and moved across several states; his job hours increased, and my job hours decreased.  Five years later when we moved again, the cost of childcare was equal to what I could earn.  We decided to live on one income, whatever my husband brought home, that would be it.  We dove into tight budgeting, thrifty shopping, making do and doing without.

Our current culture is big on padding one’s resources.  We are encouraged to get a side hustle, donate plasma for pocket change, play the lottery and/or apply for yet another credit card.  The idea of making do or doing without seems a bit un-American.  We’ve become consumed with ease and comfort and having it all.

1 Chronicles 16 Review 

The Israelites had been living in the ease and comfort of the Promised Land for some time, the land God had given them, blessing them with abundance.  In 1 Chronicles 16, we read David’s Psalm of Thanksgiving.  He is celebrating the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and the wonder of God dwelling in their midst.  David reveals four concepts that can help us focus on God and not the things of this world.  We’ve talked about three of them over the last several weeks: giving God the credit; expressing joy through gratitude and worship because God is in control; and knowing God intimately.  Today let’s investigate the fourth concept: living within God’s boundaries.

Life Within God’s Boundaries

David mentions in 1 Chronicles 16:14 that God’s judgements govern the whole earth, in verse 31 he declares that God reigns, and in verse 33 he tells us that God is coming to judge the earth.  God is the one in control; God is the one who sets the laws and the parameters for life.  Just like my husband and I had to live within a very distinct budget, God sets distinct boundaries for our life with Him.

For many of us, the idea that someone has set limits for us is annoying.  We want to make our own choices and determine our own fate. Perhaps the Israelites had a similar struggle because David reminds them of God’s goodness.  He directs them to remember God’s covenant with them (v 15); he mentions God’s protection and provision (v18-22); and he challenges them to proclaim God’s salvation every day (v23). God’s boundaries were good for the Israelites.  Abundance and peace and freedom were found in the confines God set.

Center in on a Smaller View

Do you ever do wordsearches?  I’ve discovered that words are easier to find when I look at a small section of the puzzle or if I look for a small combination of letters instead of the longer word.  Breaking the puzzle down into a smaller framework makes solving the puzzle easier. 

Have you ever looked at things in your back yard or on a hike through the macro setting on a camera?  The macro setting allows you to see objects closer.  You get a better view, and a better photo of the details found in a flower or an insect or a leaf. 

There is something to be said about centering in on a smaller area or idea.  I think that’s a bit what God is asking of us.  When we listen to Him and live life within the perimeter He sets, we are better able to focus on Him. We begin to discover the wonder of who He is because we aren’t distracted by all the things outside His boundary lines.

Rely on What You Have

When our children were young, and we were living on one income, I became quite adept at finding free things to do within our community. We were rarely lacking for anything fun.  A local park had a public water feature that was free to play in; another park had a stream for wading; we made tents in the living room; hiked to a picnic dinner; and slid down the stairs on a cushion.  We learned to rely on what we had. When we live within God’s boundaries, God is who we have, and we learn to rely on Him.

Living within God’s boundaries enables us to see Him more clearly. Our focus narrows and becomes more direct; we are not distracted by what the world says is significant.  As we center on the details of who God is we are held in wonder that He, God Almighty, dwells with us.  We learn He is the one who saves us, who delivers us, and we can rely on Him.

Live in Wonder that God Dwells with Us

David tells us in 1 Chronicles 16:34 that God is good.  I pray that you believe the boundary lines he draws for you are for your best.  You can rest there.  There is wonder in knowing God dwells with us.  May you focus and truly see Him: give Him all the credit, express joy to Him, know Him intimately and obediently live within the borders He sets for you.

 

Boundary line photo by Raphael Mittendorfer on Unsplash

Splash Pad photo by Andrew Seaman on Unsplash

We Need to Know God Intimately

My husband was advised to not date me when we were in college.  The advisor was someone who perceived me to be on the wild side.  I suppose I can see that person’s point of view.  I was loud, excessively chatty, a prankster, and way more social than serious.  I liked capturing all the attention and thrived on the crowd’s laughter.  I’m older now.  Calmer. Quieter. More willing to take a back seat.  I like to think my personality has been tempered (who wants to think they’re just old after all).  There are moments when I hear myself laugh LOUDLY and in the back of my mind a little voice says, “Oh! There you are!”

God’s personality is never tempered; God is always the same.  Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”  Who God is in Genesis is who God is in Revelation.  Who God was to Adam and Eve, to Moses, to David, to Paul, is who God is to us. 

1 Chronicles 16

We’ve been looking at 1Chronicles 16 for the past several weeks.  David is expressing his gratitude that the Ark of the Covenant has returned to Jerusalem. In verses 8-36 he pens a Psalm of Thanksgiving that reveals his attitude of being totally focused on God and not himself.  David paints a picture of what it looks like for someone to live in wonder over God in his midst.  The first week I told you I found four concepts to help us focus more on God, to realize afresh the wonder that God dwells with us.

• First: we are to give God the credit.  He is worthy and it moves us to a position where we are focused on Him.
• Second: we are to express joy.  We are to give thanks and worship God because of the confidence and peace we gain recognizing the Almighty is in control of all the details of our lives.

This week: Know God

First Chronicles 16:11 says, “Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.” (CSB) The Message translation paraphrases it as “Study God and His strength…” and the Amplified Version states, “...seek His face continually [longing to be in His presence] …” The idea in this verse is more than knowing about God or being acquainted with who He is.  David is describing something beyond looking for God to step in and provide His assistance.  Did you notice that David doesn’t tell us to seek God and have Him make us strong?  David says to seek God, seek God’s strength, seek God’s face continually. David is telling us that the seeking and the studying is the focus, not what we might receive.

My oldest sister died when her daughters were under five.  Several years ago, I sat at a table with the two of them all grown up, along with another of my sisters, and they asked us questions about their mom.  I realized I knew my sister, but the difference in our ages, and the fact that I didn’t have the opportunity to spend much time with her once we were out of our childhood home, limited how much I knew about her.  I have wonderful memories of her, but the questions her girls wanted answered, that fleshed out who she was in living color, I couldn’t answer.  I knew her, but my knowledge of her wasn’t deeply intimate.

David Knew God

David knew God deeply and intimately.  Throughout his Psalm he identifies various characteristics of God:

• He’s holy (v10)
• He is able; He does wondrous things (v12)
• He is just (v12)
• He is the LORD (v14)
• He governs (v14)
• He is trustworthy; He keeps His promises (v15)
• He is generous (v18)
• He is protective and powerful (v19-22)
• He saves (v23)
• He is glorious (v24)
• He is above all others (v25)
• He is creator (v26)
• He welcomes us into His presence (v29)
• He is King (v31)
• He is good (v34)
• He loves faithfully and forever (v34)

 

David was closely familiar with the breadth of who God is.  He had experienced life with God and knew Him in a profound and personal way. David was so overwhelmed with who he knew God to be, that having God’s presence dwell with him was the pinnacle of life.

Do We KNOW God?

Today, we don’t have the Ark of the Covenant.  We don’t need the Ark of the Covenant.  John 14:16-20 tells us we have the Holy Spirit, Christ in us, with us, always.  We also have God’s Word readily accessible to us, so much more than David ever had. And yet we don’t seem to know God like David knew God. The word know means “1. to perceive or understand as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly with certainty. 2. To have established or fixed in the mind or memory. 3. To be cognizant or aware of.  4. Be acquainted with (a thing, place, person, etc.), as by sight, experience, or report…” (Dictionary.com) I admit I think I have accepted the fourth definition for knowing God more than the first.  We are easily acquainted with God, but do we perceive and understand Him to know who He is as fact and with certainty?

God Almighty is in our midst. Always. He dwells within us. Continually.  We are to KNOW Him.  David reminds us in 1 Chronicles that knowing God, being aware of who He is and identifying how He interacts with us, strengthens us to be more centrally focused on Him. Being rooted in who God is enables us to be more and more in wonder that He chooses to be with us.

My prayer is that you will open your eyes and your heart to a fresh facet of God’s glory today; may you KNOW Him. Spend time in His Word.  Learn and list the characteristics of our Lord. Talk to Him in prayer. Listen for what He is whispering to your soul. Experience the wonder of God in our midst.

Photo of Bible by Ben White on Unsplash

Increase your God-Focus by Expressing Joy

There are days when you don't feel happy.  Your circumstances could be excellent; good things could be happening left and right.  And your emotions reveal your discontent.  Perhaps you plaster on a smile and push through, believing you can "fake it till you make it."  There are days you just muddle through, tucking yourself into bed early with a quick prayer that tomorrow will be better.  Some of us experience days when we cry over sappy commercials, quietly thankful for a release to pent-up fears, frustrations and feelings of failure.

Always Happy?

I have some weird Christian ideal that tells me I'm supposed to always be happy.  After all I have Jesus, right?  When I read David's Psalm of Thanksgiving in 1 Chronicles 16, I butt up against this big expectation. In the span of 28 verses, David refers to praising or expressing joy at least 12 times! The positivity wired into my personality steps forward and declares, "See? You're supposed to be happy!" Thankfully, God's Spirit speaks balanced truth to my soul.

David's Psalm of Thanksgiving gives us tools for our toolbox to live focused on God. These tools help us pursue the wonder that God is in our midst.  David is celebrating the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. The Ark was the representation of the presence of God to the Israelites. David's repetition of expressing joy is a fantastic tool to keep our hearts and minds centered on Christ and His presence with us. 

Joy vs. Happiness

Joy does not equal happiness.  My Pastor husband has defined joy in many sermons as a "deep settled confidence that a loving Heavenly Father is in control of all the details of my life."* Joy is this mixture of peace, contentment and gratitude that runs so deep, and is so strong, that it is expressed periodically with exuberance.

The Tools for our Toolbox

In 1 Chronicles 16:8-36, I find three different ideas that can keep us settled in that confidence.

1. We get to seek God.  Verse 10 says, "Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice." (CSB) The NLT uses the word worship instead of seek.  Think about that connection.  When I seek God, I am led to worship and when I worship God, I am led to seek Him.  It's a privilege to be able to know the creator, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  Seeking Him and knowing Him strengthens the confidence I have in Him. 
2. Remember how God has moved on your behalf.  In his Psalm (verses 15-22) David recounts ways God had been faithful to the Israelites.  When we recall how God has shown up in our lives, we remind our hearts that He is in control of the details.  We open the door to gratitude and peace, because we've battled our fears with the faithfulness of God.
3. Worship God; live a life of reverence.  Our minds are wired in such a way that what we dwell on affects our emotions.  When we think negative thoughts we begin to filter what we see and experience through a pessimistic point of view.  Soon we feel depressed, believing life is the pits.  The opposite is also true with positive thoughts.  David didn't have the science to back up his process, he just recognized that God is worthy of our praise.  David tells the people to sing praise (v9), declare God's glory (v24), ascribe to the Lord glory and strength (v28), ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name (v29), and worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness (v29).  Malachi 2:5 says, "My covenant with [Levi] was one of life and peace, and I gave these to him; it called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name." Levi received the peace that is anchored in joy because he revered God.  David challenges us to live into that same covenantal concept.

I think it's key that David shepherds us toward action.  He isn't challenging us to "Just think positively!" or beef up our attitude.  David's Psalm of Thanksgiving encourages us to actively engage in our relationship with God and then express what we experience.  That movement creates conviction, it deepens and settles the confidence we have in our God, who is wondrously in our midst.

*Note: my Pastor husband says the quote is not original with him.  He read the idea 30 plus years ago and he has made it his own.  He would be happy to offer appropriate credit if he could remember/discover the original authorship!

Joy photo by Preslie Hirsch on Unsplash