Lines Fall in Pleasant Places

“The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” –Psalm 16:5-6 (KJV. Read Psalm 16).

Another of the Psalms known as “Confidence Psalms,” this one has the byline of David. In this Psalm he shows distrust for his own merits. He begins with a prayer: “Preserve me, O God, for in Thee do I put my trust” (v. 1). He vows not to follow false gods or to utter their names upon his lips. Verses 10 and 11 give a strong view of the after life with the assurance that the psalmist will not be left in Sheol but will experience resurrection from the dead and fullness of joy forevermore.

One’s heritage does not guarantee salvation, for each person must come before God for himself in repentance, acceptance and belief. Salvation is an individual experience, regardless of family lines or beliefs of father and mother.

But how pleasant and wonderful if children are brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. What a much better opportunity children have to choose the Lord’s way if the parents are faithful in teaching them the precepts of the Lord and instructing through Christian concepts. The New International Version translates verse 6: “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” If the teaching is undergirded by parents who live according to God’s Word, then children have a solid role model to follow.

This psalm is a prayer expressed with deep longing and at the same time with deep confidence. Noteworthy prayerful expressions are throughout the whole psalm: “Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge” (v. 1). “I will praise the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me” (v. 7). “I have set the Lord always before me, Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (v. 8). David seems to overflow with gladness in this poem of confidence in God. May we learn to both abide by and pray the Scriptures. In them we have hope and assurance. The lines by genealogy from believing ancestors and through personal faith have fallen to us in pleasant places. What a thrill it was to me to find in my great grandmother Nancy Collins Dyer’s handwriting a song of faith written in 1868. I look forward to meeting her in Heaven some day. To God be the glory!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The teaching is strengthened by example. “Show me” is better than “tell me”.