My children have three dogs, Sunny, Diamond, and Star. The live in a large kennel, 50X50. They each have their own doghouse. They are fed and watered on a regular basis. And, the kids love playing with them. However, everytime someone goes to the kennel, all three dogs try to get out and run the neighbor. On the rare occassion they get out, they run wild through the neighbors yard; teasing other dogs and basically ’running wild’.
After their last ’escape’ I gathered the kids together and asked them a question: ’Do you love your dogs?’ They all replied with an emphatic ’YES’! I went on to say, ’If you love them, you will stop them from getting out. Because everytime they get out, they become most likely to get hit by a car. So, they next time the try to get out, tap them on the nose with a piece of paper and say ’NO’! The tap on the nose won’t kill them, but getting hit by a car will"
The same is true with Christians. No matter how much room God gives us to run, we still try to get out and ’run wild’. So, in order to keep us safe, God, in His love, ’taps’ us on our finances, or job, or health, else we run in front of the devil’s plan for our lives, and be killed!