Boundary Lines
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
As our team was on the plane last week traveling to Texas for an Awakening Weekend, the Lord reminded me of a scripture that He spoke to me on my very first trip with Spirit & Truth. I was sitting in the window seat, overlooking plots of land from up above when God reminded me of Psalm 16:5-11:
“Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
I remember tearing up as I looked down from the plane.
God was showing me a glimpse of His perspective. On the ground, boundary lines have looked restraining. I’ve viewed fences as an infringement to my freedom because they make the field seem small. But from above, my focus shifted to the vast amount of land in each plot. I realized how often my limited view has caused me to turn my gaze away from the Lord.
This was such a simple and gentle revelation; God has set my boundary lines in pleasant places. The field I find myself in, whether it is school, work, community, church, etc. is a land that the Lord has drawn up for me. No matter the external circumstance, He is my portion, my cup, and in Him I have a beautiful inheritance. God was shifting my perspective to one that is focused on eternity, not my immediate comfort. I found joy in obedience and partnership with Him when I believed that He has me in pleasant places.
While we were in Texas, I saw others discover similar revelations of this Psalm. There is a section of the Awakening Weekend that involves the church splitting up into small groups, going into the community, and offering to pray with whoever the Holy Spirit leads them to. As we give the instructions, most people have a moment of sheer panic. Yet time and time again, we have seen God give confidence to His people.
On this particular weekend, a woman stood in front of her church on Sunday morning, testifying to how God moved in the prayer outreach the day before. She said something along the lines of, “I did something for the first time yesterday, and when you get to my age, that doesn’t happen often. Yesterday, I went out with a team to pray for our community. At first, I wouldn’t even speak. I let my team do it all and I just watched. There came a point when my friend told me to lead the next prayer time. Although I was nervous, I listened to God and allowed Him to instruct me on how to pray. I did it! I prayed for a stranger!”
It was just another day in the field, but this woman saw it with new eyes. She allowed God to instruct her and He filled her with the joy of His inheritance. As a result, she gained a conviction for the gospel to be known in her environment, a confidence that she carries the kingdom within her, and comfort from God’s ever-present help.
Wherever you find yourself, and whatever your heart posture is toward your plot of land (whether it be your church, community, family, etc.), ask God to show you His perspective. Allow Him to lift your eyes to see your inheritance. Ask Him to teach you the freedom that comes with trusting in His perfectly drawn boundary lines.