Fallen in Pleasant Places

Psalm 16 is a beautiful lesson on perspective. It is attributed to King David, but many scholars believe it was first discovered and sung by the community in the time of exile. This was a time after the nation of Israel had been conquered and burned by the armies of Babylon. The vast majority of people were forced to leave their homeland and settle in a foreign land. 

 In so many ways, I’m sure this psalm resonated. It begins with a heartfelt prayer, “Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.”

You may know that prayer all too well.

Many of the psalms are prayers like this – prayers for redemption, prayers for healing, prayers for deliverance, prayers for rescue. And this psalm, no less, expresses a pathos and a longing… But it doesn’t get stuck there.  

The Psalm continues: I bless the Lord, who gives me counsel… In your presence, there is fullness of joy. You show me the path of life… And then, this beautiful statement: “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.” 

This is language from the book of Joshua. When the Israelites came into the promised land, the land itself was divided up among the tribes. This statement is an acknowledgment that the land that I was given, is good land.  

It is interesting to think about this Psalm being sung in exile by people who now have no land at all, people who really have nothing to call their own, but people who still claim this blessing nonetheless. In exile, this statement is simply a metaphor. It is acknowledgment that even in the darkest valley, even in the most trying times, even with everything stripped away, there is still beauty and goodness and grace. 

There is always the freedom to choose our perspective. But it’s not easy, is it?

My prayer today is that you and I would ever make a conscious choice to keep the reality of God’s blessings and presence before us. May our vision never become clouded with fear or bitterness or arrogance or resentment. And may we notice again that indeed the boundary lines have also fallen for us in pleasant places.

Let us pray: Even in the most trying times, we don’t have to look far, O God, to see how richly you have blessed us. Open our eyes to see and hearts to respond. Amen.