The Rules of the Game

I am reading a book by Ravi Zacharias entitled, "Recapture the Wonder." Having only read through the second chapter, I have already found myself needing to stop and ponder many of his insights.



Chapter 2 analyzes life through comparisons to games and theater. Shakespeare is quoted as saying "All the world's a stage. And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts."



Ravi Zacharias shares his story of trying to design a tennis court and play the game with his friends without ever being taught the rules. Their attempts are futile as any game would be when the rules are unknown or changable. His metaphor illustrates how "the game is played not to protect the rules, rather the rules are made to protect the game."



In his illustration, the rules are obviously God's Word and the game is this life we live. Thus, when translated the quote reads, "Life is lived not to obey God's law, rather God's law is made to protect our lives."



He takes us to David and his experiences with God's boundaries. For "David, of course, knows what it was to try to push back the boundary lines of God and find himself cornered instead. Having tasted stolen waters, he found out they were bitter. He traded a lifetime of regret for a few moments of pleasure. Yet when he lived within the parameters God had set in place, he found out that the law is perfect, tasting sweeter than the honeycomb. His delight was boundless." (Zacharias, p.36)



When God has so clearly defined His boundaries for life, it is no wonder Satan camps out at any extreme, trying to get us to leave God's security. Zacharias claims, "the legalist loses sight of living while trying to obey the rules" while "the hedonist loses sight of the rules while supposedly protecting life - as if God's moral framework consisted of arbitrary mandates to make life difficult." Satan, although subtle and incredibly effective at his lies, is still so predictable.

2 Cor. 4:4 "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

Isaiah 6:10b "Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

I am reminded of research done in Child Psychology demonstrating childrens' willingness to explore the entire playground all the way to the street, provided there is a fence protecting them from the traffic. If, however, that fence is removed, the children huddle together towards the center of the playground and the building. Zacharias quotes G. K. Chesterton who advised, "'Before you remove any fence, always first seek to ask why it was put there in the first place.' You see, every boundary set by God points to something worth protecting and if you are to protect the wonder of existence, God's instruction book is the place to turn."



I have recently uncovered something (for my life) even more remarkable than God's plan to provide us with our own instruction manual. He also claims to change our very hearts, molding us into His likeness, enabling us to be more like Him, transforming our very desires into the likeness of His.



2 Cor. 1:21-22 "Now it is GOD who makes us and you stand firm in Christ. HE annointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come."



2 Cor. 3:4 "Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from GOD!"



Hebrews 2:18 "Because He himself suffered when He was tempted, HE IS ABLE TO HELP those who are being tempted."



I Cor. 10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And GOD IS FAITHFUL, HE will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, HE will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."



Phil 3:9 "...not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that COMES FROM GOD and is by faith.



2 Cor. 1:3-4 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, WHO COMFORTS US in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."



Thanking God for His comfort, His righteousness, His competence, His Spirit, His Strength, His annointing, His instructions, His LIFE!