Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil one. – 2 Thessalonians 3:3, Amplified Bible (AMP)

Charleston, SC is a beautiful city. Nestled along the Atlantic Ocean, Charleston is home to breathtaking nature scenes and handsome man-made landmarks. One of the most recognizable sights of the city is the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, also known as the Cooper River Bridge, which opened in July 2005. The bridge’s eight automobile lanes, bike lane, and pedestrian lane provide a firm foundation of concrete and steel over which people can safely cross the river. However, should anyone decide to jump outside of the boundaries of that firm foundation, then they will fall to their great injury or, more likely, to their death.

God has provided His children a firm foundation – the Word of God – upon which to build a wonderful life. When we live within those boundaries, our footing is sure, our path is straight, and our confidence is high. When we choose to live outside of those boundaries, we will fall, sometimes to slight injury, and sometimes to great. Just like Shimei lost his life upon living outside the boundaries Solomon had set for him, we will lose much by exceeding the boundaries that God’s Word has set for us.

When the temptation comes to leap beyond God’s boundaries – to enjoy, perhaps, some glorious sin that you “just can’t live without” – try to remember that stepping outside of God’s boundaries is like stepping off of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge: you’ll get quite a rush on the ride down, but when you hit bottom, you’ll wish you’d stayed within the guard rails.