Stones and Fences

HIGHLIGHT: Proverbs 22:28 - Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors.

EXPLAIN: The proverb is simple, and at first glance does not need extra explanation. However, several times in the Old Testament, we find warnings for those who crossed these lines. The reason being that to move a boundary stone was an act of deception. It would indicate an intent to steal by changing things without anyone knowing what was going on. They were important reminders of what God had done, through his leaders, in setting up appropriate boundaries.

APPLY: I love to see things happening! I love to see progress, but one of the wisest things I ever heard was, "Don't tear down a fence until you know why it was put up". The principal listed here is don't move boundary stones that were set up by your ancestors. The key is ~ recognize the wisdom that history presents.

For the ancestors and boundary stones, these were stones put into place allowing people to know what God had set aside for them and their family. It allowed people to always know what God had provided, and to move them would have been to steal the land or even remove the memory of God's provision.

There are many times to move forward in life: with our kids, jobs, education. There are also moments, especially when our leadership is needed or warranted, that we must take time to see why those stones were put there. Why did my parents have me dress a certain way? Why does the church meet at a certain time of the week? Why do we have the habits that we follow?

Change is not a bad thing, but to change without any thought about why those fences were put up can lead to unnecessary conflict, or even worse, some kind of loss of how we got to where we are.

Moving forward, always look to see what is on the horizon and the possibility it brings. Moving forward, never forget how you got what you have and how it came to be with you.

RESPONSE: Lord, you have blessed me more than I deserve. As I get excited about the future you are leading me on, may I never forget the blessings of the past you have placed in my life and may it be a building block for my own kids and the their future.