“Restriction is not an enemy of joy.” — Tyler David, The Austin Stone
I wasn’t sure what to draw for the seventh commandment about not committing adultery. Something broken? Something hurtful?
I went a different route and focused on something Tyler David said: “Restriction is not an enemy of joy.” Restriction, waiting, is for my good. It protects me and glorifies God. It proclaims he is more than enough; I am secure in him, and my identity and worth come from him and him alone.
Once I had those thoughts in mind, I knew where the verses in Exodus and Ephesians would inevitably take me: Romans 8 and Psalm 119. Romans 8, in The Message translation, says waiting does not diminish but rather enlarges. Psalm 119–I return to the New American Standard at this point–states that God enlarges my heart as I run the way of his commandments.
Joy is found in obedience, in waiting, in restriction.
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