OVER THE FENCE
I was reading the UPPER ROOM devotional, and on August 23rd, a lady wrote about sheep that she saw while driving down the road. All the sheep were on one side of the fence, and this one little lamb was on the other side by the highway. She was worried so she went for help and a gentleman got the lamb back over the fence to safety.
Then on Saturday as I was cleaning out all of my books, I came across one of my favorite books that I used when I taught 7th grade English. “The Other Side” by Jacqueline Woods. This story is about a town where a fence separates people. One little girl is on one side, and the other little girl is on the other. Instead of climbing over the fence, they sit on the fence to visit. They do this because both of their mothers say it is dangerous to cross over. Eventually one little girl ventures over the fence and plays with all the little girls.
When I read this book to my student’s I would teach the concept of concrete and abstract. The fence is the concrete, but the abstract meaning is separation between people.
As I ponder, I thought, “Do we help people over the fence? Do we help people on the other side? How do we help people? How do we help ourselves so that we are better equipped to help people?”
Are you willing to climb over the fence?
DIVE INTO SCRIPTURE
This weekend the weekend teaching from the First 5 App Karen McNarydiscussed Jesus, the Jewish people, and the unfit:
“Jesus was ethnically Jewish, and the Jewish people were the vehicle God was using to create the body of the church. He gave the invitation to all image barriers(those created by his image) to make this new body of the church. He modeled this in John 4. Jesus intentionally went through Samaria. He went through a town where Jewish people would not travel. The Jewish people would travel extra distances to go all the way around Samaria, where they thought the people were unfit. But unlike them, Jesus walked into Samaria because He rejected that which was culturally normal, and He intentionally extended himself to those that the Jewish people deemed unfit.”
Are you guilty of walking around to avoid someone or to avoid a situation?
In Acts 3:25, Paul is speaking to the Jews and the gentiles. When you look at the wording in this scripture look at the word after offspring.
Acts 3:25 New International Version (NIV)
25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, Through your offspring, all peopleson earth will be blessed.
All people. What the Jews decided were unfit and unredeemable Jesus intentionally went to them. He accepts all people. He goes where people are, and he meets them there. Jesus surrendered to Gods will as in Mark 14:36 not my will but your will.
With that being said, where are you? Which side of the fence are you on? Are you willing to stop and help someone over? Someone who has been redeemed unfit by society. What is the barrier between you doing God’s will and loving all people as He loves all people?
Jesus is our perfect shepherd. He loves all, pink sheep, blue sheep, tall sheep, short sheep, skinny sheep, fat sheep. God loves ALL SHEEP.
Are you willing to climb over the fence?
This week as you are driving down the road help someone over the fence — Takedown the barriers.
Jesus recognizes no barriers, He moves mountains, parts seas and helps us over fences. He will guide you to arrive at your destination full of hope.
CHALLENGES OF THE WEEK:
- Keep Your Daily Appointment With God
- Dive Deep Into The Word
- Climb The Fence
- Fill Your Cup With Christ So You Can Fill Other Cups
EXTRA READING:
Weekend teaching, Jesus extends Himself to those deemed unfit and unredeemable,
Karen McNary First 5 App August 24, 2019
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