What would life look like without any rules?

“Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments and perform them: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 19:37 (NKJV)

We don’t usually relish rules, but where would we be without them? Imagine a football game without rules. It would be a free-for-all where anything goes. What if there were no traffic laws? Then whenever you went through an intersection you would never know if someone was going to plow into you!

God gives us rules for living because He loves us. He wants to protect us from harm and provide what is best for us. After all, we are His sons and daughters!

In ancient times, the pagans resorted to various means of divination to make decisions. They shook arrows, examined the liver of an animal, or consulted their household gods (Ezekiel 21:21). But God’s people must never engage in such practices. Neither should they confer with the dead, with fortune tellers, or a horoscope. Why would we turn to such deeds of darkness when we have the living Light to guide us?

“And when they say to you, ‘Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

Isaiah 8:19–20 (NKJV)

This gives us the means to discern if a person is of God or not. Do they speak the words of God, or do they give their own wisdom? If they do not speak according to the Word of God, then there is no light in them, and we should turn away.

God has given us the light of His Word and the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth (John 16:13). He illuminates our path through life and eternity. If we neglect, ignore, or defy His rules, then we only harm ourselves and miss His best plan for our lives. Guard rails give us security and keep us from going over the edge. Are you living within the boundaries God has set for you?

Photo by Ruta Gudeliene on Unsplash