“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.” Psalm 16:5-6
Sometimes we get confused when we look at the circumstances of our lives and the reality of scripture. You may read those words “the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places” and think, “that couldn’t be further from the truth!”
The “lines” being talked about here are property borders. The Psalmist is saying, “the land you have given me is a pleasant land.” Yet, when you look at your land, it seems anything but pleasant.
Maybe the lines have fallen to you in a land of sickness, or a financial crisis, or a marriage going down the toilet. Perhaps your land is a land of depression or loneliness or rejection. It could be that your lines have fallen in some very unpleasant places.
I think it’s important for us, as followers of Jesus, to have an “outside perspective” on life’s difficulties. Here’s what I mean: the Psalms talk often as God being a refuge, or a fortress. Think of a giant medieval castle. Outside, the battle is raging, but inside is safety. Outside is full of fear and darkness and enemies, but inside is full of love and peace and assurance.
God is a castle for the oppressed, one whose walls will never be breached, whose safety will never be violated. When you retreat to Him, there can be joy even in the middle of horrible circumstances.
Those problems you face, they are outside. View them that way. Yes, they hurt, but they are exterior battles. They can only harm you when you leave the safety of who you are in Christ
Inside the refuge that is Jesus Christ, the lines have fallen to you in pleasant places.
Quitting Christianity 