by Richelle Hecker

Bound by Rules

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

One of my favorite things to encounter in the wilderness is water. The untamed beauty of lakes, streams, and rivers brings out emotions in me that otherwise remain hidden. I grew up spoiled, living next to a lake and having the opportunity to swim in it frequently. I still prefer to swim in lakes over visiting crowded and chemically treated pools.

It is quite discouraging to live in a place where so much of the water I find on hikes and camping trips is barred from swimming. Actually, there are a lot of rules that prohibit being wild in the wilderness. This is because humans by nature are quite destructive and need rules in place to protect wildlife and the environment. Still, I miss the freedom of me and my off-leash dog spontaneously wading or jumping into water to cool off.

I took this photo at the pinnacle of a strenuous hot hike. How I longed to at least wade into the water. However, this is a man-made structure and comes with more rules than a regular body of water in the wilderness. This is a reservoir and no one wants a bunch of people swimming in their drinking water. It is beautiful and peaceful to look at, but immersing yourself in its beauty physically is out of the question. The list of rules that accompanies this body of water and its surrounding area is too long to post in this blog.

Sometimes it feels like Christianity comes with a long list of rules that spoil our joy as well. Some of these rules are in place as a protection. However, sometimes Christians add rules that are man-made rather than God ordained.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Galatians 5:1 New International Version

Continue to immerse yourself in God’s Word so that you can discern His rules for safety from man-made rules of slavery. Then, remain free to dive into the wild waters of His love.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO