The Lines Have Fallen in Pleasant Places

David surveys his life and pronounces himself content: The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance. The image is of a plot of land marked out with measuring lines, David is saying that the portion God has measured out for him is a good one, and he is glad of it. But notice where his contentment is rooted: first and foremost, "O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance." His deepest treasure is God Himself; and because God is his portion, the rest of his lot, whatever it is, looks pleasant to him.

This is the antidote to the comparison that poisons so much of our gratitude. We look over the fence at someone else's plot, their gifts, their circumstances, their apparent ease, and our own portion suddenly looks meagre. But David, content with God as his chief inheritance, can look at his own measured lines and call them pleasant, his own lot good. Comparison always finds someone with more and makes us discontent; gratitude looks at our own portion, sees God's hand in it, and calls it good. The grateful heart stops measuring its plot against the neighbour's and starts thanking God for the lines that have fallen to it.

Stop looking over the fence today. Look instead at your own portion, see God's hand marking it out, and say with David: the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.