Hop the Fence

Hop The Fence:

During my teenage years, my uncle owned a striking red and white Hereford cow named Cherry. She wasn’t just any cow—she was a master escape artist. She possessed an uncanny ability to slip through a fence without bending a single wire. With a twist of her head, she could unlatch the gate and release not only herself, but the entire herd. But her most remarkable skill? Cherry could clear a three-strand barbed-wire fence like an Olympic hurdler, soaring effortlessly above the sharp wires.

More nights than we cared to count, my family was jolted awake by urgent knocks at the door or alarming phone calls: Cherry had escaped again and was grazing along the roadside. Countless evenings, we found ourselves herding cattle in the moonlight—still in our pajamas—while my father muttered about the “professional escape artist” leading the charge.

The irony?Cherry had 25 acres of lush grazing land—towering shade trees, a cool bayou, fresh troughs of clean water, and ample hay in winter. But she was never satisfied. She believed with all her bovine heart that the grass outside the fence was greener… not just greener, but better. What she failed to understand was that the fence wasn’t a barrier meant to restrict her—it was a boundary designed to protect her. The roadside she wandered toward held hidden dangers she never recognized.

The Spiritual Parallel

We are not much different.

God, in His love, has given us boundaries through His Word that are meant for our protection, wisdom, and flourishing. They are not fences of restriction but fences of preservation. When we step outside those boundaries—whether in relationships, choices, desires, or temptations—we often do so because something on the other side looks more appealing.

The enemy is an expert at making the “other side” look enticing.Just as Cherry was convinced better grass awaited her beyond the fence, we can easily convince ourselves that fulfillment lies outside God’s revealed will.

But Scripture reminds us: “Do not be wise in your own eyes… It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:7–8)

God’s boundaries never diminish joy—they safeguard it.They are not meant to confine us, but to keep us from danger, deception, and harm.

Cherry knew how to hop the fence—but she didn’t understand what the fence was saving her from... May we learn what she could not.

In a world that constantly advertises greener grass, shinier promises, and self-directed paths, we must anchor ourselves to God’s truth. His commands are not shifting suggestions; they are fixed markers of safety and blessing. When temptations whisper for you to step outside the boundary, stand firm. Trust that your Shepherd sees what lies beyond the fence, and His boundaries—though sometimes resisted by our wandering hearts—are rooted in unfailing love.

Journaling Prompts

1.    Where am I most tempted to “hop the fence” in this season of life?

2.    What boundaries from Scripture do I struggle to embrace, and why?

3.    How has God protected me in the past through a boundary I didn’t understand at the time?

4.    What does “the grass looks greener” look like in my spiritual walk?

5.    What truth from God’s Word do I need to cling to in order to stay within His protective will?

Prayer: Father, thank You for loving me enough to place boundaries around my life. Help me to see Your commands not as restrictions, but as safeguards shaped by Your wisdom and Your perfect understanding of what I cannot see. Guard my heart from wandering toward things that appear desirable but lead to harm. Teach me to trust Your Word, obey Your voice, and rest within the safety of Your will. Keep me close to the Shepherd who leads me beside still waters and away from the dangers beyond the fence. Strengthen my desire for obedience, and give me the discernment to recognize the enemy’s counterfeit pastures. In Jesus’ name, Amen.