Guest post by author C.A. Simonson
Psalm 139:5 -“You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.”
As an avid berry picker, Ginny looked forward to foraging for wild blackberries for jelly. Prickly briers covered with thorns from roots to leaves became like magnets grasping at her arms. Painful barbs sunk deep. Pulling branches away left lots of scratches and pokes. A bucket of berries sure isn’t free; it cost me plenty, she thought as she rubbed her wounds.
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Many shepherds of the Bible planted briers as barriers for their sheepfold. They grew fast and thick. The sheep’s wool easily caught in the thorned tendrils, so the flock avoided them and stayed safe within its border. Thorn bushes also kept predators out: too thick to crawl through or under, too high to jump over, and too sharp to chew through.
It’s human nature to buck against barriers to our freedom that we don’t understand or like, thinking we know better. People prefer their own way, just like sheep. (Isaiah 53:6) As our Good Shepherd, Jesus also sets up parameters in our lives. (John 10:14) God wants to protect us from ourselves, not hedge us in or entrap us.
The next time you feel confined by things, hedged in by people, or trapped in your job, think of how God may be protecting you. If circumstances or events hinder your progress, God may be providing divine protection from dangers you’re not aware of. Be thankful God can see ahead and knows just what do to keep you safe.
“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7-ESV)
C.A. (Candy) Simonson is a freelance writer and novelist. She began writing nonfiction articles in the 1980s with almost 800 articles published in multiple national or online magazines. Her award-winning stories are in seven anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her debut young adult novel, Love’s Journey Home, published in 2013 was followed by seven Christian YA novels and five nonfiction books. As a former IT computer trainer/teacher, she enjoys assisting other authors with book formatting, self-publishing, cover design, and sharing her technical and writing knowledge with writers’ groups. She serves the Springfield Writers’ Guild Board as the 2024 and 2025 President and SWG webmaster. See more at CASIMONSON.COM
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