Lindi Jarrett

“For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective discipline is the way to life.” Proverbs 6:23

The pet containment industry is booming. The Better Business Bureau reports over 500 companies that make up a $1.5 billion annual revenue. Pet owners who have yards or designated spaces for their precious fur babies to run or play in know what a valuable service this is. For those who aren’t familiar with these systems, the general way that they function: a collar with a receiver is placed on your sweet pet and there is some sort of electrical field or boundary predetermined to be safe and allows for the pet to stay within by the owner. The collar or receiver, picks up a signal when a pet gets too close to the boundary and beeps in order to warn the pet to back up and stay within the safe limits their owner has set. If that precious little stinker goes past the boundary, the collar will send a gentle static correction. The level of static correction that the fur baby receives will be determined by their response and obedience to the system. I have 4 dogs and each is set at a different level of correction based on their testing the limits outside of safety and into danger, as our boundary is near the road with a decent amount of traffic. This system has prevented lost pets, thwarted them from running into the street where they risk getting hit by a car, and keeps them from bolting out of my front door to rudely jump on and greet mailmen or friends stopping by.  

Many times, I have wished that my kids had a system like this when they were younger and liked to bolt across the street without looking. As my kids have become teenagers and are venturing out into the world of driving, social media, and freedom to make all kinds of choices that affect their futures daily, I have come to realize that God developed a plan very similar to this pet containment system… 

You see friend, God’s Word, the Holy Spirit and natural consequences are like a Holy Invisible Fence system. His Word is like the boundary flags that define our safe space to run free and live under the shadow of His wings. The Holy Spirit living inside us is our receiver. He pings our spirit, saying, “this is the way, walk in it.” Or, “Don’t go there, that is not God’s best for you.” When we decide to test our boundaries, He gives us natural consequences and sometimes they hurt. If we keep going away from His safe place, we can get lost, will become lonely and risk danger that we can’t even see because the momentary escape feels like freedom. God sees the dangers we can’t, just as we see the dangers that our fur babies can’t anticipate. God knows our hearts, how they function best, and what it takes for our minds and emotions to flourish. He made us to live abundant lives in Him, within His clearly defined boundaries. Lord, help us to trust in Your Word and wisdom for our lives. Help us to tune our hearts, minds, and souls to your frequency and have the strength to stay right where You want us to be.  

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

I always used to get lost. I was not blessed with a natural sense of direction. In fact, sometimes when my natural inclination was to turn right, I went left and that usually led me to where I needed to go. When I started driving about 20 years ago, I would have to make sure I wrote out clear directions from a map, then MapQuest was the next best thing. Then GPS systems revolutionized travel and really gave this timid traveler some navigational confidence and freedom. I was able to navigate cities that I would never have been able to without one. Now, I am totally GPS dependent. I use my Waze app to get me everywhere: to avoid traffic, construction zones, objects on the road, and to watch my speeding as fellow wazers warn of Police presence. I no longer get lost! It’s amazing…unless I enter the wrong destination address. 

God gave us a spiritual GPS in His Word, for us to use it daily to direct us in where we are going, turn by turn. We should enter HEAVEN as our destination because we aren’t promised a moment in the future. No matter what “construction zone,” “traffic delay,” or “object on the road,” we have a guide in Christ Jesus and in His Word to lead us on the path to Himself and to the Father. The Holy Spirit is like the voice-guided assistant. If we listen to His leading and obey the instructions, even if we take an unexpected detour or miss a turn, His voice will lead us home. 

Lord, help us daily enter your Heavenly coordinates and trust that you will lead us no matter what happens on the road that leads to You. 

Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke and to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke?

Isaiah 58:6

Please join us on Monday in a day of fasting and prayer for our nation!

With all that is ahead of us on Election Day and for the many days to follow, we recognize the need to fervently seek the Lord for His will to be done in our lives and in our country as a whole. Our nation was founded upon Godly principles, by Christian men and women who stepped out in faith, unsure of tomorrow, but sure of their higher calling which soon led to forming our beloved “one nation under God.” Our prayer is for the healing of our great nation, for protection of all lives in this current turmoil and beyond, for truth to be sought and evidenced, for physical healing from disease, for spiritual protection from fear and depression, and for leadership that will continue to fight for God and His principles. No matter who is elected, we know that God is on the throne and that we are called to make disciples in His name. We have an important task as believers to be the light in this dark world right now. In seeking how we should do that and what that may look like in our individual lives, Will you join us?

We invite you to miss 1, 2 or all meals tomorrow. If you aren’t able to do a food fast, please give up some activity such as social media or television in order to spend time in prayer and thanksgiving with the Lord.