Are you being led by a leash? When I walk my dog I have to put him on a leash. It is not something I do to punish him but it’s actually to protect him from himself and other outside forces like cars and people. If it were a perfect scenario, I would prefer him to walk beside me untethered and on occasion he is able to do so when there is sufficient room to roam and no urban hazards. The same is true with God’s law.
God’s law isn’t here to punish us; in fact it’s quite the opposite. God’s law gives us an awareness of our sinfulness (Romans 7) as well as the standard to which we are to strive to live up to (Romans 3). God’s law operates like the leash I put on my dog. Seeing that we are commanded not to murder, covet and etc we know that these things are wrong and they give us parameters to live up to.
We can’t use the law, however, to earn our salvation because our own righteousness is like filthy rags as said by the prophet Isaiah. We are to wear the righteousness of Christ because he is the fulfillment of the law. He is our righteousness and the freedom that we have and through his perfection. His sinlessness puts us in right standing with God as we accept him and humble ourselves to his lordship.
So just like when I use my authority to lead my dog by his leash I am doing so out of love for his wellbeing and safety because I see the dangers that he is oblivious to. The same is true for our heavenly father. He sees throughout history the things that cause humanity to stumble into sin and he lovingly gives us his holy law for us to abide by so that we can avoid those pitfalls. The question is, can you trust God to lovingly lead you, even if he pulls your “leash” and steers you somewhere you in your shortsightedness don’t want to go? Are you being led by a leash?
If you liked this devotional be sure to pick up a copy of "Whispers In The Woods" to have a collection of 52 similar devotionals for your spiritual growth and encouragement. Click HERE to order a copy!