Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each.
Joshua 18:4a

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READ: Joshua 18-19

“Good fences make good neighbors,” wrote American poet laureate Robert Frost in his beloved poem, “Mending Wall.” The four-time Pulitzer Prize winner understood human nature and captured it beautifully in verse. In “Mending Wall,” Frost partners with his neighbor each spring to restore the stone fence that separates their two properties. No concrete, nails, or bolts keep the fence intact; rather, the classic New England-style structure stays erect by the purposeful placement of stones. Over winter, hunters or wild animals knock some stones loose, and the fence must be mended each spring. These two neighbors undertake the task together, year after year.

Frost inquires why they even need a boundary between them. The fence isn’t needed for keeping farm animals from wandering, since Frost farms an apple orchard and his neighbor farms pine trees for lumber. His neighbor simply repeats the saying his father passed down to him: “Good fences make good neighbors.” And the two quietly continue along their shared fence line, replacing stone after stone and thus strengthening their shared boundary.

When two people understand where one person’s property ends and the other person’s property begins, it brings clarity. This is true in relationships as well as property: good boundaries are kind, clear, and courageous. They keep the adverse consequences of someone’s choices or behavior with their rightful owner.

Joshua understood the value of clear boundaries. The other tribes still needed to receive their portions of the land of Canaan. Even though these tribes shared history and lineage, Joshua knew boundaries mattered. He sent three men from each tribe to survey and write descriptions of the remaining land. Based on that data, Joshua then divided the land into seven portions and cast lots to decide which tribe would get which portion, thus avoiding any accusations of favoritism. He recorded each boundary with precise and accurate physical descriptions. In the future, if one tribe’s sheep wandered onto another tribe’s land, restoration could be made and peace restored because each person knew exactly where their turf ended and someone else’s began. Indeed, good fences make good neighbors.

A STORY OF THEN & NOW

Protective and Loving Boundaries | Stacy E. | Willow South Barrington

I grew up in an unstable home filled with uncertainty and tension—one parent battling alcoholism, the other codependence. As a kid, I learned to survive by being a people pleaser. I kept my head down, did my schoolwork, and kept the peace. But slowly, I lost my voice. 18 Renovate Your Relationships: A Proven Guide to Setting Boundaries and Building Bridges with Those Who Matter Most by Scott Vaudrey (Nelson Books: Nashville, 2019), chapter 4.

I stayed that way into adulthood. I dated someone safe and calm for six years, but never truly knew myself. I didn’t speak much, didn’t share my opinions, and continued keeping the peace. Then I reconnected with a man who would later become my husband—and reenact my family’s dysfunction, triggering my long-buried pain.

I love my husband, but addiction, legal issues, and violence quickly tested our marriage. I remember sitting on our apartment floor, chaos erupting around me, whispering a desperate prayer: “God, don’t leave me here.” That’s when change began—not externally, but inside me.

I started attending Recover (Willow’s recovery program). I listened, I shared, and for the first time, I heard my own voice. As I found safety and community—and experienced the true love of God—I realized that no matter how I felt inside, God deeply cared about what happened to me. That’s when I began setting boundaries—not to punish others, but to protect myself. I realized peace doesn’t come from fixing someone else. It comes from God as I honor the truth of who I am, what I need, and what I deserve. Some of my boundaries created physical safety, while others brought internal peace. Through each of them, God made my voice stronger and brought healing. I’ve become more patient, more resilient, more loving. Learning to set boundaries is a reflection of God’s protective voice over my life. As I learn to boundary myself in healthier ways, I get to speak God’s protection over others, too.

DID YOU KNOW?

In the ancient Near East, stone walls meant protection for cities. Jericho’s wall crumbled only after Joshua and his men followed God’s literal “marching orders.” The fall of Jerusalem (586 BC), occurred after Israel’s kings “did evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 24:18–20). Nebuchadnezzar’s army placed Jerusalem under siege, “the city wall was broken through” (2 Kings 25:3–4), and the Israelite army fled. Jerusalem lay in ruins, unprotected, until 444 BC, when God helped the prophet Nehemiah restore its walls.

A PRAYER

God, You set boundaries in place for my ultimate good. Help me honor those boundaries and mend fences in my life when needed. Amen.

FOR REFLECTION

What boundaries has God put in place in your life to protect you? Are these boundaries standing strong or crumbling?

Describe a time you set a relational boundary—or you need to set a boundary. Share how being kind, clear, and courageous helped (or will help).