Of Pillars and Fence Posts

Thursday, February 2, 2023

But regarding Israel, God said, “All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious.”  Romans 10:21

This is one of those OUCH verses for those who think of themselves as a pillar of the church.  Israel was God’s special, chosen, dearly-loved bunch.  Along the way, disobedience and rebelliousness became their norm.  God’s arms were wide-open to them and all the world, but stubbornness (read that:  human nature) kept God at a distance, while Israel did what Israel wanted to do.

I have been that (and don’t you look so spiritual on me…you have too!).

This was brought home to me in a word picture decades ago when we lived in Florida.  I passed a small farm on the way to the church each day.  The owner had built a three-rail fence around a pasture.  I suppose he didn’t have an end post on one side, so he attached the three rails to a tree.  Over time the tree had grown, separating the three rails. 

The results of this project were unmistakable.  The living tree flourished, while the three dead rails cracked and splintered.  The fence became useless to the purpose for which it was constructed, keeping cows in the pasture.

It’s not difficult to get a handle on the point here:

You never attach something living to something dead!

For You Today  

Pillars of the church can become dead fence posts, toxic to the church.

When serving ends, and ownership takes its place, the living organism (the body of Christ) can become an organization (the business of human preferences).  Our God is a living, very active, sovereign God.  And the church is His.  The moment we begin to hold-on to anything (as if it belonged to our better ideas), pillars-turned-fence-post are headed for an unpleasant experience. 

When you get rebellious towards God’s ways, it isn’t God who loses that struggle!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

When Darkness Takes Over  and  No. Other. God. 

This is an updated version of “So Much Anger” published on Rocky Road Devotions January 16, 2014

Images:  Title via Wikimedia.com   Images without citation are either personal property of the author, or in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

Of Fence Posts and Pillars

But regarding Israel, God said, “All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious.” Romans 10:21 (NLT)____________________________________________________

This is one of those "OUCH" verses for those who think of themselves as a "pillar of the church".  Israel was God's special, chosen, dearly-loved bunch.  Along the way disobedience and rebelliousness became their norm.  God's arms were wide open to them and all the world, but stubbornness (read that:  human nature) kept God at a distance while Israel did what Israel wanted to do.

I've been that (and don't look so spiritual on me...you have too)!

This was brought home to me in a word picture a couple of decades ago when we lived in Florida.  I passed a small farm on the way to the church each day.  The owner had built a three-rail fence around a pasture.  Lacking an end post on one side, the farmer had attached the three rails to a palm tree.  Over time the palm tree had grown, separating the three rails.  The living tree flourished while the dead three rails cracked and splintered.  The fence became useless!  Point - You never attach something living to something dead!

Pillars (of the church) can become dead fence posts (obstructions) in the church, when serving ends and ownership takes its place.  God is living and very active; when we begin to hold-on to anything with a kind of death grip "pillars-turned-fence post" are known for, well, let's say, it is always God who wins.  It's much better to "let Go...and let God".