Chuck Fattore

"Cultivating God’s Hedges"

Job 1:10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.

How is the health of your home’s bush hedges? My home’s once thick hedges appear to be thinning in some places due to the blistering hundred-degree weather and lack of rainfall. Instead of lush green leaves my thinning hedges now feature barren branches which create visual gaps in its continuity.

My home’s hedges were designed to protect the privacy of my home, but in their current condition, they allow unwanted visitors to peer into my home’s living spaces. The Bible uses the word hedges as a metaphor describing how God uses the Holy Spirit, Scripture, and fellowship of believers to protect us from Satan’s destructive advances.

Like my home’s hedges, my spiritual hedges require constant nurturing of spiritual food and living water. Should I neglect my obligation to care for God’s hedges, even for a short period of time, secret sins will negatively impact my behavior and diminish the benefits of God’s protection over my life.

Gaps in our spiritual hedges invite the sin of idolatry to make its subtle entry into a Christian’s soul. Once implanted, the sin of idolatry is easily covered over by self-deceit and self-confidence in one’s understanding of Scripture. Slowly the Christian stops loving his neighbor, especially those with whom he disagrees and replaces his godly love for them with angry condemnation. Instead of bearing the fruit of love, gentleness and kindness, the fruit of anger, hatred and selfishness appear in Christian behavior discrediting the Gospel’s message.

The thinning of God’s hedges has contributed to our nation’s polarization, disrespect of human dignity and disregard for laws and truth. Like ancient Israel’s false prophets and priests, self-centered Christian leaders have failed to obey God’s Golden Rule. As God raised up Jeremiah, Ezekiel and other faithful prophets to confront our nation’s sins, He is using us to offer salvation to the lost while nurturing His hedges around us.

Pray that the Tallowood Revival creates avenues of spiritual growth for all those who hear the Holy Spirit’s entreaties to generate/increase their Christian faith.