Guarded by God’s Rules

RULES CAN BE LIKE A WALL OF PROTECTION.

Bible Reading of the Day: Read Galatians 3:23-24.

Verse of the Day: “The commandments of the Lord are right. . . . They are a warning to those who hear them; there is great reward for those who obey them” (Psalm 19:8, 11).

Becky held her grandma’s hand as they walked together toward the swimming pool. They had to walk around the tall brick wall that surrounded the pool area and enter through the shower rooms at the front of the facility.

“It sure doth take a long time to get to the thwimming pool,” Becky said, a slight lisp sounding in her speech because of a missing front tooth.

“Yes, it does,” Grandma answered. “It wouldn’t be so far if we didn’t have to walk all the way around that wall.”

“Why don’t they juth take the wall down?” Becky asked as they entered the shower rooms.

Grandma kicked off her sandals. “The wall is there to protect people,” she said. “If it weren’t for that wall, a little child could wander away from his house and into the pool area. He could fall in and get hurt.”

“Or drown!” Becky said, her eyes wide with alarm.

“Yes.” Grandma nodded seriously. They sat together on the bench inside the shower room. “Or an older child might be tempted to go swimming when there’s no lifeguard on duty. That could be very dangerous too. It’s the same way with the rules your parents make you obey, like ‘don’t play with knives’”

“Or ‘don’t play in the threet.’”

“Right!” Grandma said.

“Or ‘don’t play with matcheth.’”

Grandma’s eyes twinkled. “I can see you know the rules,” she said. “Those rules are like a wall your parents built around you to keep you safe.” “Or ‘don’t run in the houth.’” “Or ‘don’t hide peath in your ear.’”

“Oh, that’s a good one!” Grandma said, laughing. “You should eat all your peas.”

Becky nodded solemnly. “We have a lot of rulth at our houth.”

“That’s wonderful,” Grandma said. “Do you know why that’s wonderful?”

“Why?” Becky asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

“Because it shows that your parents love you very much. They make those rules to keep you safe and to help you grow up to be big and strong and happy.”

TO DISCUSS: How do your parents’ rules protect you? How can God’s rules, or commandments, act like a wall of protection around you? When was the last time you thanked your parents for their protection? When was the last time you thanked God for his protection?

TO PRAY: “Thank you, God, for your protecting rules.”