“For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres.” Nehemiah 12:27
The Israelites were beaten down, discouraged and without hope. The Babylonian captivity had ended nearly a century earlier. The temple had been rebuilt and community life was growing. But there was one glaring situation that kept the people of God in turmoil. The walls of the city lay in ruins leaving them vulnerable to fear, wild animals and marauding groups of thieves (think terrorists) . In our culture we don’t realize the severity of that situation. No walls meant no boundaries. No boundaries meant being vulnerable. No walls were an embarrassment and weakness, robbing them of the identity God had for them.
Then Nehemiah showed up. He organized the people. He gave them a plan. He gave them hope. He restored their identity. Dr. Henry Cloud, in his book ‘Boundaries’, tells us that boundaries are important to our identity and security. They guard our physical possessions, but more importantly, they guard our hearts emotionally and for believers, our spiritual identity.
This celebration of thanksgiving for the new walls surrounding Jerusalem gave the people a sense of accomplishment, security and reinforced their identity as children of God. The God who had brought them out of captivity had restored them as His own.
Many people say being a Christian has too many rules, but in reality the boundaries (rules) God’s boundaries are there to give us security and a sense of belonging. They give us an identity and protection. We are his children and like any good dad, His desire for us is to be secure in who we are. Take some time to thank him for the boundaries of grace He has surrounded you with.
GRACE NUGGET: Grace allows us to live in freedom and security as a result of the boundaries He places around us.
