On the one hand, a hedge is good. On the other, it’s miserable.
That’s what Job experiences.
Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side?” (Job 1:9,10)
Job’s life was “hedged in” by God’s protection. Job was surrounded by God’s blessing. It was a great place to be.
On the other hand, once Satan has a chance to torment Job, it’s a different story.
Job asks, “Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?” (Job 3:23)
He feels trapped. Everything good he had is gone. He doesn’t know why. He can’t do anything about it. He’s stuck. He’s trapped. He wishes he had never been born. But here he is. He’s boxed in by the miserable life God engineered for him.
Do you feel protected or trapped by God? Is your faith a force field or a cage?
On the one hand, God is confining. He has some strict guidelines for our lives. On the other hand, those guidelines set us free from things like sin and death and the power of the devil. Hmm. How can confinement actually be freedom?
So, what hedges has God put around your life? How has he protected you? How has he kept you on a short leash?
Waite for it... 