She said, “My property goes right down that fence line, all the way back to that oak tree.  When you get to the river you cross the line.” She found comfort in knowing where outermost limits of her property were. Boundaries give us definition. Fences give us protection, for what’s inside our fence and from what’s outside our fence. I like specific direction and clearly defined end results.

God never promised to wall us off from all that threatens us. He does not give us a fenced in comfort zone and tell us to stay there. He does not give us a limited supply of his grace and power and tell us to save up and make do. God promises to dwell with us and fill us with his Spirit so that wherever he leads us, we are safe inside his will.

We’ve created invisible fences that protect our dogs; we also have invisible fences that we hide behind to protect our comfort zones. But what happens when God’s call on my life doesn’t end at the edge of my comfort zone? When my to-do list includes more than I’m capable of? When people need more from me than I have to give or want to give? When I have more interruptions than patience? More responsibility than time? More fear in the future than trust in my God? What happens when God wants to move my carefully constructed fences? When he asks me to obey when I can’t see the plan? Do I insist on and enforce my limits on God, or do I seek his?

Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let  yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

 Do I become a slave to the fences I’ve built, or do I trust God to walk me past the edge of my expectations and cross into new adventures, new stories, new opportunities to see him at work in my world? God never said there were no boundaries for us. His laws and his plan require that we allow him to establish those boundaries. God set the boundaries for the Promised Land and for the areas for each of the 12 tribes. David described the boundaries God put on his life.

 Psalm 16:6  The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

 Following God to whatever boundaries he takes you to will allow you to find the pleasant places of his will and the delight of the inheritance he has planned for you. May you follow him past your comfort zone and allow him to securely establish you in the places and hearts he has prepared for you.