With much technological advancement has come the feeling that we can conquer anything we want and achieve any goals we set for ourselves. The truth is that achievement apart from God’s will is not going to bring the satisfaction that we desire. The Lord has given us boundary lines and a field for our lives, and if we desire to live a fulfilling and meaningful life, it’s important to discover God’s boundaries and the territory He has provided for us.
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
When we first come to Jesus, our eyes open to the fact that we are sinners in need of forgiveness. Over time, we discover that we have lived worldly, and there is much we need to let go of to live a Godly life. As we begin to walk with God, God’s boundary lines become more and more clear, and we learn what He likes and what He doesn’t.
In the above passage, David declared that God’s boundaries have fallen in pleasant places for him. The Lord set amazing boundary lines for David and picked him to be the future king. If it were up to David, he might have thought shepherding the sheep was going to be his life profession. He might have seen his boundary lines to the extent of his father’s property lines, but God had a different plan for his life. While it was not easy for him to come to the position that God anointed him for, the Lord maintained his lot for him, and no one including Saul could thwart God’s plan for David.
God has a plan for each believer that he unfolds over the person’s lifetime. Sometimes the Lord speaks through a vision or a prophetic word, and He shows an individual what He is calling them to do. However, for the majority of people, it is a walk of faith and discovery over the years. Whether someone has received a prophetic word or not, every believer needs to grow in patience and allow God to unfold the plan rather than the person trying to make it happen.
Before David came to the position of becoming a king, he had learned God’s boundary lines. He had a heart after God and knew what was acceptable to the Lord. When David had the opportunity to kill Saul for chasing after him, he knew that he was not supposed to overstep his boundary and touch God’s anointed.
Many people want to see God’s plan unfolded in their lives, but they still struggle with God’s boundary lines, The word of God clearly shows us what pleases the Lord and what is considered a sin and unacceptable before God. If we want to live a successful Christian life, we need to ensure that we have learned God’s boundary lines and stay within those boundaries that He has given us.
For example, when a teen is ready to drive, one of the first things they need to do is to learn the rules of the road. They need first to get their permit and show that they understand the driving rules before they are allowed to practice driving. No one has a desire to be on the road when someone is driving who does not understand the rules nor obeys them.
Similarly, we need to learn God’s boundary lines and encourage others to learn God’s boundary lines before we try to figure out God’s purpose for our lives. The Lord’s boundary lines are in pleasant places, and they will keep us and others protected from harm. In this process, we are equipped to walk with God in the territory He has given us.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.