Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance is to have these boundaries:’ Numbers 34:2

Every nation and city on the earth has some boundary set up that defines where it is. Boundaries are what help guide others as to where a city or nation is located and who controls it.

Although most people do not want to have boundaries limiting them, most places have some type of boundary set up. While boundaries can appear to restrict, they can also give freedom.

God told the Israelites that when they entered the promised land of Canaan there would be boundaries set up as He gives them the land.

When boundaries are set up, many people feel as if they are being stifled or held back and they no longer have full freedom. In the church, many will consider boundaries as legalism and reject all boundaries claiming freedom in Christ.

While there is freedom in Christ, there are also some boundaries that are in place. With no boundaries, all one has is chaos.

The boundaries a believer has are not always physical ones as with the Israelites but are spiritual ones. God does not His children to fall into sinful practices and move away from His will, so He sets up boundaries.

There are sins that God specifically tells His people to flee from. There are guidelines as to how to act and think in order to live the holy and righteous life that God has called every believer to live.

Boundaries given by God are not to enslave a person and hold one back, but to allow them to live a full abundant life in Christ Jesus, not a life of sin and death. They are to let the world know that believers are different and belong to God.

Regardless of where you go in life, there is always some type of boundary you must accept. Just as you are willing to accept the boundaries of property, you must be willing, as a believer, to accept the boundaries God has placed in your life.

Live within the boundaries God places so that you can live the full life God has for you. Do not leave these boundaries for temporary sin and eternal death. These boundaries are placed to keep you safe in God’s will, not to hold you down.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know the boundaries God has for you; that God will guide you on how to live the abundant life He has for you; and that God will strengthen and guide you to stay in the boundaries He has for you.