Genesis 26:22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”

Everybody needs room to grow, room to operate. How we use that is our personal responsibility. That’s why little children, even though they have the most need to grow, are given the least “personal space:” they have little ability to deal with it responsibly. That is one of the biggest tensions in parenting. We need boundaries and we need space, and only God has the wisdom to get it just right. At times we wish for more space, and at times we wish we didn’t have to make so many decisions! Physical room to grow, though certainly desirable, isn’t as important as emotional space. The balance is between liberty and security, and we need both. The ideal is to have assurance of unconditional love, which includes “permission to fail,” and solid, appropriate guidelines. God provides both, if we will open our hearts to Him. Fear of failure is closely tied to fear of rejection. Often we fear failure only because we fear what people with think of us if we fail. God already knows our weaknesses, and our failures don’t change His love for us. They do affect the blessings we receive from Him, because as it says, “God cannot be mocked.” (Galatians 6:7) If we reject Jesus as Lord, we send ourselves to hell, but that is not what God desires. Lesser disobedience, as well as simple error, produces lesser degrees of loss, but God is indeed gracious, and He desires to give us the very best. (Luke 12:32)

I had a missionary friend, since passed away, who desired to build a Christian retreat facility, but had difficulty finding someone who would sell him the land needed at a price he could afford. When he did locate some land, it had no water supply, and he was told the geology wasn’t right for a well. He prayed, bought the land, drilled, and brought in an abundant supply of water! Not surprisingly, he named the well Rehoboth. God will always supply enough room, even when we feel hemmed in on all sides. (Psalm 118:10-11) I sometimes feel hemmed in by all the things I am called on to do, so I need to remember this! God has told me to rest, relax and rejoice in Him, so I need to be obedient in order to receive all the blessings He has for me.

Father thank You for this reminder. I need it fairly often! Thank You for leading me through each of the things that pressure me. I have more ahead of me, as I will continue to have the rest of my life, but I know that You will supply everything necessary. Help me rest in that knowledge, walking in Your peace and joy as a testimony to all around me, drawing them to You as well, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!