Dear Grandkids,
Because (the Lord) wants us to flourish He restricts us in order to truly free us.
I came across this quote this morning as I was reading a little book called Before You Open Your Bible by Matt Smethurst. It is a book well worth your time to read – and it is very short.
He is talking about the subject of obedience. Even at your age I know that you struggle with obeying what your parents tell you to do. Sometimes it is easy to obey. Sometimes not so easy. This will be true for your entire lives. Especially when it comes to obeying what God tells us to do – and not to do. I want you to understand early on in your life that God’s commandments are there for a very good reason….
Because (the Lord) wants us to flourish He restricts us in order to truly free us.
Here is an illustration that Smethurst shares that I think will be helpful:
Fish are made for the water and birds for the air, right? Now imagine a fish who decides he’s tired of being restricted to the water. He wants to be free, to experience the joy of life on land. So he manages to flop around and “free” himself onto dry land – which turns out to be a death sentence. Why? He was only designed for water not for air. Conversely, imagine a seagull growing jealous of the freedom he witnesses in the ocean below. I’m sick of being confined to the air, he thinks. I want to be truly free. So he plunges in – and perishes. Why? He was only designed for air, not water.
In a similar way, just as the fish was built for the water and the bird for air, so you were built for God- and you will not find true life and freedom anywhere else.
It will always be in YOUR BEST INTEREST to choose obedience – because the Lord wants you to flourish!
And so do I!
Never forget that you are very loved!
Pop Pop
Thank you for writing and sharing!