Often, I’ve thought of a hedge of protection as something God sovereignly gives to people for reasons not practical or traceable. I’ve thought the only thing you can really do practically to obtain a hedge, is to ask for it. Of course, it is true that asking for it helps greatly. Many times we have not because we ask not. It is also true that God is sovereign and we can’t always trace why He does things.

Scripture Concerning A Hedge

But I’ve come across a portion of scripture that seems to indicate otherwise. That at least to some degree, there is a practical aspect to receiving a hedge from God.

Isaiah 5:1-6 Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard:My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.² He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.³ And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.⁴ What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it?When I looked for it to yield grapes,why did it yield wild grapes?⁵ And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard.I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured;I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.⁶ I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up;I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

In short, what I got out of this was that if we do not produce the fruit God is expecting us to, He will remove His hedge. Conversely, I have to assume that if we are producing fruit according to God’s will, He will maintain a hedge. Of course we don’t want devouring enemies in our lives. We don’t want to be made a waste or miss out on God’s rain of blessing. 

Producing Fruit By His Power

With this being the case, let’s produce fruit in keeping with the will of God. But this doesn’t mean buckle down and try harder. Perhaps it simply means to surrender more deeply. Or maybe simply don’t give ground and hold that which you already have. And allow the Spirit of God to continually flow through you. 

As He flows through us, we are able to bring to life, the domestic produce God is looking for, by His creative power. If we do not allow Him to do this, we are likely to produce wild fruit. Fruit that is not tamed under the commanding voice of Christ. It is fruit of lawlessness from a wild heart that has not been surrendered. 

How shameful would it be after He has given us all we need for life and godliness, to turn our own way. We can do it, but our hedge will be gone. He has given us a fertile hill, dug and cleared of stones. We have been given choice vines, just what is needed to produce the fruit He wants. He even set up a watch tower, keeping a careful eye on our borders, making sure no evil comes near. Let’s honor His work and give Him the fruit He desires. It is no more than He deserves and is perhaps far less than He deserves.