“Hurry Mom! Cosette ran off. Max came to get me,” my daughter called to me.

I ran to the door and saw my 87-pound poodle staring at me. “Where is Cosette? Show me,” I said to Max. He raced around the side of the house and zipped up and down the invisible fence line that faced the wooded area next to a busy road.

An invisible fence surrounds our yard to protect our dogs from wandering. Since both my dogs now know the boundary, I don’t bother with their collars half the time. Big mistake this day. A passing deer was too much temptation for my huntress.

“Cosette,” I yelled. “Come; come now!”

My heart flipped when my daughter spotted a blur of white racing along the road filled with five o’clock traffic. Finally, she pranced home happy from her chase. Later we noticed her limp—and a trail of blood.

The next day, both poodles clamored to join my husband and me on our walk. But Cosette’s injured paw meant she couldn’t come. She didn’t connect missing out on a walk with her earlier disobedience. I’m sure she felt like we were punishing her when we wanted to protect her injured paw.

My heart hurt when her big brown eyes implored me. How could I make her understand? I reflected on how disobedience to God’s laws can also leave us injured and unable to enjoy legitimate pleasures. Like Cosette, we fail to realize we brought the loss upon ourselves. We may even blame God for our pain.

How Do You View God?

Some people view God as a stern disciplinarian waiting to swat His children when they step out of line. But the Bible portrays a compassionate Father warning us about the consequences built into sin. Just as a burn produces blisters, so each sin carries its own consequence (James 1:14-17). And, like Cosette’s cut, when the consequence isn’t immediately apparent, we fail to connect the cause and effect.

God’s commandments protect us from the burns and bruises of sin.

The serpent tempted Eve to doubt God’s word and good character. The heart of temptation is rooted in these same doubts about God. Does God really mean what He said? Is He holding out on us? Does He know best?

The better we know Jesus, the less power these doubts hold on us. Knowing the character and love of our Lord is our best protection against sin.

Are you wrestling with a biblical limit? Does a particular temptation seem too hard for you? We have a High Priest who can rescue us. And God has provided the help of the Holy Spirit to ensure victory.

A week later, Cosette’s continued limp required a visit to the vet. God forgives our sins, but some consequences affect us far longer than the passing pleasure of sin.

The wise see biblical fences as protective guardrails, not as prison bars. How we view God affects how we follow His commandments. What benefits have you found living within God’s fenced-in yard?

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands” (Ps. 119:9-10 NIV).

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