The Lines Have Fallen To Me In Pleasant Places

PSALM 16:5-8

O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

This line came up in our meeting a short while ago, and we were blessed by The Lord’s leading at that time, but that verse from Psalm 16 stayed with me. What are The lines and where are the pleasant places? We might say nowadays, “I am so lucky”, but somehow that does not carry the depth of appreciation and thanks inherent in ‘The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.’ Perhaps that is because luck has nothing to do with it, nor can it be described as good fortune.

Studying verse 5 reveals that we have three different words which can all be translated as ‘inheritance’, but that would sound awkward to our ears. The lines, which means something tightly wound (as a rope), but also bound by a pledge or promise, leads us to translate this as ‘inheritance’, and thus we see inheritance in three instances in one verse.

Some show these lines as boundary lines, but that can only be so as in being hedged about or shielded by the Lord. What these verses speak to me is Inheritance with a capital ‘I’. This is about where we are headed, where The Lord would have us be, both now and forevermore. Living in the inheritance of The Almighty. For we are to be both His desired inheritance, just as He and His life in us is ours. See that He is always before you and that you shall not be moved from the inheritance which is yours and mine as children of God.

About 25 or more years ago, a dear lady of our acquaintance and a member of the church at which we fellowshiped was diagnosed with cancer and did not have long to live. Despite appalling pain, she bravely struggled on, until The Lord took her home. Psalm 16 was a sustaining word from God for her even to the end. A colourful painting of nasturtiums by my father with a quotation from Psalm 16 was displayed in the church as a memorial to a faithful one in The Lord, but also as a testimony that our Lord carries us through to live in His everlasting inheritance, no matter what may befall.

MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS…

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
EPHESIANS 1:3-6

O THE DEEP DEEP LOVE OF JESUS — Canticle Trio

AT YOUR RIGHT HAND ARE PLEASURES FOREVERMORE — Esther Mui

PRAYER REQUIRES WONDER…

OVER AND OVER again God has to teach us how to stand and endure, watching actively and wondering. It is always a wonder when God answers prayer. We hear people say, "We must not say it is wonderful that God answers prayer"; but it is wonderful. It is so wonderful that a great many people believe it impossible. Listen!
"Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do." Isn't that wonderful? It is so wonderful that I do not suppose more than half of us really believe it. "Everyone who asks receives." Isn't that wonderful? It is so wonderful that many of us have never even asked God to give us the Holy Spirit because we don't believe He will. "If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven." Isn't that wonderful? It is tremendously wonderful.
[from ‘If You Will Ask’ by Oswald Chambers]

LISTEN TO THIS MEDITATION HERE…

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COMING NEXT… #525 FOR I WILL CONTEND WITH HIM WHO CONTENDS WITH YOU