Boundaries Come With A Delightful Inheritance

Boundaries. Limitations.

These words may seem very ponderous for most of us because they feel restrictive. These very words are what we often neglect because we think that we cannot groove in with what the world has to offer.  


Boundaries are signals of constraints and endings, only if we look at it that way. In a brighter perspective, they are a blessing of security to our inheritance. 



“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” (Psalm‬ ‭16:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬)


Coming across this verse again after a very long time, came at a time when I needed it the most. That time when I began questioning the boundaries that I've resolved-- to remain pure and holy before Him. That time when waiting seems daunting and pointless. When obedience does not feel like it's still done in love. 


Then it hit me.

Boundaries are not meant to restrict us, they are meant to secure us with the blessing and the will of God for our lives. But with God's unconditional love for us, He still allows us to choose which way to take in life, whether it be the path with boundaries in line or the path. As the Bible says, "everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial" . We may choose any of the things out of the boundary lines, but it may not be beneficial for you.

When God begins to set up boundaries and limitations in our lives, we can always remind ourselves that He is not trying to be restrictive. He is only trying to keep our gaze fixed on His will and purpose in our lives. This is how we can regard boundaries as something pleasant; our sovereign God wants to lead us to the path of His good, pleasing, and perfect will.


It is beautiful to see that, He did not ask to just merely look at boundaries as pleasant but He gave a promise alongside with it -- a delightful inheritance.


David, who authored this Psalm, is the youngest of many sons in his family. In their time, younger children would not expect to receive a greater portion of inheritance. David was in that situation, but it was not an issue to him. Why is that so?


Because God Himself is the portion of his inheritance. 


He understood that the promise given by God in Numbers 18:20, "I am your portion and your inheritance..." is not limited to the priests in the time of Moses, but applicable to him as well. 

With all the hardships that David is facing in his life, he was secured of his inheritance because it is something not perishable. It is not the riches of this world, or the land of his father, but it was God Himself. Charles Spurgeon puts it this way,


"David believed in an overruling destiny which fixed the bounds of his abode, and his possessions; he did more, he was satisfied with all the appointment of the predestination." 


God is the portion of his inheritance, and that was more than enough. He is more than enough.
 Then I fully understood the importance of giving so much importance on delighting in His Word and obeying His commands. The more we get to know Him through His Word, the more we will understand the need to obey His commands. It will not be hard for us to look at boundaries the way God looks at it when we understand God's Will for our life. By then, obedience will be a delight and that it will also lead into pleasant places.


Delighting ourselves in the greatest inheritance that we can ever have leads us to being secured to His plan and purpose for our life. Waiting will not feel pointless anymore. Resolving to be pure and holy before Him will never be something to question. Boundaries will never feel restricting anymore, but it will be a security of a delightful inheritance ahead.

Indeed, we are to delight ourselves in the Lord first. We are to be satisfied of Him being the sole delight of our hearts. The restrictions bound before us at a certain season in our life will never be a limitation for us in receiving the delightful inheritance He has set before us. They are all pleasant for it was purchased by the blood of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus obeyed His Father's command to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, because Jesus was fully aware that His obedience will lead into pleasant places. Let us then see the boundaries set before us at this season of our life as something pleasant, rather than a restriction. Because as promised, He will give us the desires of our hearts (those of which that are aligned in His will) -- in His perfect and beautiful timing.

You, yes you. Whatever you are going through right now. You may be feeling discouraged because the promise of pleasant places that comes with obedience is not visible yet. I encourage you to take a step of faith in obeying God, no matter how crazy it may seem. Obey because You love Him, and with obedience you will get to know Him more. And with obedience comes a promise that is delightful.