Hemmed In
January 13, 2019
You’ve probably heard the statement, “Great fences make great neighbors.” Regardless of how you feel about that phrase, you have likely experienced the benefit of healthy boundaries in certain relationships and the pain that comes with the lack of them in others. Healthy boundaries are important in other areas of life as well. From how we handle money and use our time, to how we deal with suffering and respond to disappointments, boundaries are a reality for all of us. Join us for a new sermon series exploring what the Bible teaches about boundaries: what they are, how we should face them, what they teach us about God, and how we find the pleasant places He has for us inside of them.
Passage (Read it):
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.' As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. surely, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16 (ESV)
Three benefits of boundaries:
- Protection (Psalm 16:1-2)
- Discernment (Psalm 16:3-4)
- Contentment (Psalm 16:5-6)
What to do when you're feeling "hemmed in":
- Choose Faith over Fear (Exodus 13:18-14:10)
- Stop looking for someone to blame (Exodus 14:11-12)
- Stand firm and Wait on the Lord (Exodus 14:13-14)
- Stop whining and move on (Exodus 14:15-31)
Daily Reading:
Sunday: Psalm 16
Monday: Exodus 12: 1-30
Tuesday: Exodus 12: 31-51
Wednesday: Exodus 13
Thursday: Exodus 14
Friday: Exodus 15
Saturday: Psalm 139