"Keep me safe, O God,
for in You I take refuge.
I said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord;
apart from You I have no good thing.'
Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup;
You have made 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 have set the Lord always before me.
Because He is 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 grave,
nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence,
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand."
- Psalm 16:1-2, 5-11
beautiful!! happy weekend, linda!
ReplyDeleteSo good to hear from you, Jennifer! I am still missing your blog! I hope all is well ...
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Dear Linda
ReplyDeleteThis is so important to have healthy boundaries! I use to be without boundaries for a long time of my lede and that is no fun!
Blessings XX
Mia
Yep, the whole boundaries thing is a huge issue for many of us, Mia ...
DeleteLovely image and an equally lovely Psalm. Amazing how one book in the Bible is able to comfort, validate, encourage and teach. Yes, apart from the Lord, I have no good thing! Amen!
ReplyDeleteYes and amen, Carrie! 'He is altogether lovely.'
DeleteIn the world's eyes, it seems, "boundaries" are a form of slavery from which to be set free. Always they must be "bridged," "crossed," "blurred," or "erased." (Read almost any humanities course syllabus from our mainstream universities, and you'll see what I mean pretty fast.)
ReplyDeleteBut God's Word reveals to us -- so beautifully in this Psalm -- that His boundaries set us FREE! Like when He blocked the entrance to the Garden of Eden after the Fall, "lest" man in his sinful state "take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever--" (Gen. 3:22). What a tragedy that would have been (emphasized by the way this verse stops dead in its tracks)! It was out of MERCY, not punishment, that He drew that line: because God, our Creator-Redeemer, had a much better plan in mind for us from the very beginning...
David's shepherding days must have taught him well about the life-giving potential, and necessity, of good boundaries. Again, he says it well:
"You have beset me and shut me in -- behind and before, and You have laid Your hand upon me.... Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence?" (Psalm 139:5,7).
Hallelujah, that wherever we go, "You are there"! (v. 8).
Blessings to you all this Sabbath,
Grateful Heart
P.S. Always love your photos, Mrs. Eckler -- and, of course, your gardens!
Preach it, girl! Preach it! Thanks for going deep with us tonight, GH ...
DeleteThis is so good...such assurance from a loving father. He teaches, heals and secures! Great post Linda!
ReplyDeleteSo much power, beauty, encouragement from the Psalms. What an inspired man, that Psalmist ...
DeleteThanks for coming by tonight, my friend!
Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI have recently been holding onto "setting the Lord before me"
It is peaceful to know in that place I will not be shaken.
Thank you!
Melanie
Yes, front and center He is, guarding, guiding, comforting. What a wonderful Savior!
DeleteThe Lord gives us good boundary lines--such an encouraging portion of scripture! Love the photo!
ReplyDeleteI'm visiting from Sunday Community.
I'm glad you dropped in today, Carol! Have a wonderful holiday weekend ...
DeleteSo grateful that despite our circumstances, the Lord says that our boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places. Our role is to recognize those boundary lines and accept and rejoice in them!
ReplyDeletemmm ... sometimes it's hard to see those boundaries as pleasant, yes? Ah, but He does all things well! Thanks for being here, Alison ...
DeleteAnother 'rest' reminder... thank you.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we seem to need reminding ... over and over and over once more!
DeleteLinda, thank you for this Word. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteBeing real with you, my friend. Just being real!
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