Psalm 119:45 I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.

Many people, and sadly, even many Christians, think that following God is all about restrictions: don’t do, don’t taste, don’t touch. The Bible indeed has quite a few restrictions of various sorts, but they really amount to things like “Don’t touch hot metal,” “Don’t drink poison,” “Don’t stir up a nest of rattlesnakes.” In other words, the Bible’s prohibitions are to protect us, not restrict us. I’m reminded of raising children. You put an infant in a crib or a playpen, with slats or net sides, not because they are prisoners but to protect them from danger. As they gain maturity and experience many restrictions are lifted, but that still doesn’t mean it’s OK for them to do things that are harmful to themselves or others. This verse proclaims that someone who is genuinely seeking to do God’s will has a broader field of activity than someone who is not. Paul put it this way: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is free-dom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) That’s not at all to say that it’s OK for Christians to do drugs, for example. That is directly damaging, and is irresponsible stewardship of our body. It also doesn’t mean we’re to flaunt our freedom in front of people who aren’t ready for it, like big kids enticing little kids to do things they aren’t ready for. Paul applied that to the matter of eating meat from animals that had been sacrificed to idols, and said that if eating meat would cause a less mature brother to stumble, then he would live as a vegetarian. (Romans 14:20-21) Following God is a life of freedom, privilege, and authority, but we must not forget that with those things comes responsibility.

I was raised by parents who did their best to encourage rather than restrict, within Biblical guidelines, and I ended up with a very wide skill set, having tried my hand at all sorts of things. I think that is very much in line with this passage. God wants us to try all sorts of things, and to use us in ways that perhaps we haven’t imagined. We need to seek Him first, and thus allow Him to open our eyes to where He wants us to go and what He wants us to do. My skill set is some-times intimidating to others, and I must be careful about that. Rather, I am to encourage them to believe that God can, and probably wants to, use them in ways that they can’t imagine.

Father, I’ve got examples of that all around me. Thank You for the one who just got a job that hadn’t occurred to him before, but which fits in beautifully with Your calling on his life, which he had already recognized. There are others who feel like they are at dead ends. Help them lift their eyes to You so that they may see that what they perceive as barriers are perhaps no more than speed bumps or curbing, and so move on boldly into what You have prepared for them. Help me be ready for whatever new things You have for me, seeking You first and accepting whatever comes with the package, so that Your will may be done in Your way on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!