"Fences"

I think back and there’s no lack,

Of fences in my mind,

Stockyard strong and lasting long,

I think you know the kind.

With big stout posts and hinges host,

Of heavy gates that swung,

To sort the cows and save somehow,

The cowboys when they run.

On any day my Dad might say,

You’ve got to fix the fence,

There’s cattle out and there’s no doubt,

It’s been so ever since,

They broke the wire, no time to hire,

A crew to get it done,

Take your horse and pliers of course,

And fix it, won’t you, son.

And so I’d go a-trottin’ slow,

To find that very spot,

And if I could tack wire to wood,

Sometimes it took a lot,

Of sweat and try, but by and by,

I’d think I’d done enough,

To keep ‘em in, the fence to mend,

But the gaucho make it tough.

Sometimes new, to see it through,

We pulled a string so straight,

Set corner posts, braced them the most,

And then we’d hang the gate.

Augered holes and wire unrolled,

And did what must be done,

To make it stout, ‘cause it’s about,

What stops that old wild one.

And now down here after all these years,

I still have fence to build,

To keep ‘em strong where cows belong,

And safe there in our field.

And the Good Lord knows and His Word shows,

The fences we all need,

A life to bless and won’t be less,

Than the harvest He will seed.

We’ve gone astray, but still we may,

Return, He says we can,

Find our way home, no more to roam,

And that is Jesus’ plan.

Respect the fence, and do so since,

It’s God’s own boundary,

To save from sin and keep us in,

His fold eternally.

“Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have returned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:25, NLT)

By nature and by choice we have wandered away, crossed God’s boundaries, and run from God’s highest and best. Salvation is all about coming to our senses, changing direction, and returning to the One who knows us best and loves us the most. If people truly understood God’s offer, everyone would be saved. God’s welcomes the wayward sinner and heals the rebellious heart. He teaches us to respect His fences and live within them by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, help us to recognize Your fences, in Jesus’ name.

Art by MIkel Donahue, used by permission. Thanks, MIkel, and God bless you.