July 1, 2018
Doing the Dailies
Guidelines, Guardrails, and Grace
“The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” Psalm 19:8
Nestled in the heart of God are the Guidelines, Guardrails, and Grace of our Father.
Guidelines
Some of you may have highly skilled escape artists lurking in your hallways after dark. Perhaps your precious ones have been known to nimbly escape from their crib, or to scale a wall or a baby-gate beyond the safety and confines of their room. Other precious ones enjoy the adventure of ‘jumping on the bed’ disregarding all safety instructions. No matter how many times Bill and I would explain the guidelines, the rules, the instructions, and the restrictions we established in our home for our children’s protection, often, quite often, our daughter, Christie would persist in climbing out of her crib, twenty-five times in one evening! Adam, would shriek with laughter as he jumped on his bed, determined to touch the ceiling fan in spite of our instructions, warnings, and loving correction. I confess-yes, YES…this made me crazy!
Guardrails
When our children transitioned to big kid beds, the guardrails we installed became our best friends. They set parameters and restricted movement to protect our sleeping or thrashing child who was accustomed to a more confined space. Most of us immediately recognize the ‘THUD’ and the scream which follows within 5 seconds after children or grands fall from the edge of their bed, unless they have guardrails, and sometimes, in spite of guardrails! Yes, I know, the whole night erupts into chaos…
Why, oh why do these precious ones want to escape from their beautiful beds and bedding which was so carefully chosen for their nurseries and bedrooms? When they have toys galore and a trampoline outside, why, oh why do they insist and persist in jumping on their beds? Why don’t these precious children want to follow the safety guidelines…those instructions and restrictions which are designed and created to keep them safe? Why can’t they just stay within their guardrails?
The truth is…we all need guidelines and guardrails…
Nestled in the heart of God are the guidelines and guardrails of our Father.
We all want our children to understand why…why we establish guidelines in our home…why we install guardrails on their toddler beds, why they have curfews, why we impose restrictions on their activities, instructions concerning their clothing and entertainment choices. Most of the time our children understood and trusted that these guidelines and guardrails exemplified our love for them. But, there were other times when they deliberately chose to ignore the guidelines…and there were times when they became distracted or disobedient and broke through a guardrail…or two…or three…
The truth is, this is the story of my life; perhaps you can identify too. I remember the many times, because of my choices, distractions, and disobedience, I ignored the Guidelines God had wisely and lovingly given to me, and the times when I plunged over the Guardrails which God had purposefully imposed on my life…Why, oh why, can’t I follow His Guidelines and respect His Guardrails?
It is in these moments, we can see as our children see…The heart of a parent who relentlessly loves, pursues, and desires to protect…In these moments, we witness God’s Love through His Guidelines…and His Guardrails He lovingly extends and offers.
As we look at the magnitude of our love for our children and for our grands, it is almost impossible to imagine and understand that we have an amazing and boundless Heavenly Father who possesses an even greater and more perfect love for each one of His children. Our Father has lovingly and purposefully given us His Word, the Message of Life and His Spirit to guide, to lead, to instruct, to empower, to equip, to protect and to guard you and me. His message of Love, His Guidelines, His Guardrails, and His Truth, are given to us, by our Adoring Father.
And, there is Grace…
Nestled in the heart of God are the Guidelines, Guardrails, and Grace of your Father.
There are distinct moments when God reveals the Glory of His Grace in the life of every believer. His Grace is the revelation of His Love in our lives each and every day…morning by morning, evening by evening…Grace is the assurance and the confidence our Father imparts to us of His unmerited favor and love…totally and completely underserved…totally and sacrificially offered for you and for me. Grace is God’s holy influence on our souls, (Thayer’s) influencing and strengthening our faith, kindling…sparking our pursuit of Christ-like virtues…walking in His ways. Grace is His gift to us-offering our Father’s perfect loving kindness and favor, through His Son, in spite of our mess-ups, mishaps and mistakes. My friends, it is in these moments, we can turn our faces to Him and experience the soothing salve of His Healing Grace, pouring over us…undeserved, but sacrificially given for you, for me.
His Grace says, “My child, get up-I am giving you a new day…a new chance…I am offering you My Guidelines, My Guardrails, and I am pouring out my Grace, on you, again.”
As we Come to His Table to Do the Dailies…may we:
Embrace our Father’s Guidelines…Respect His Guardrails…
Bask in the warmth of His Love, and walk in the Light of His Grace….
“Grace be with you all.” Hebrews 13:25
…In your hearts and in your homes…
Love you in Jesus,
