I remember reading Psalm 16 many years ago, probably in the King James Version, and wondering what the phrase meant that “the lines” had fallen to the psalmist “in pleasant places” (Psalm 16:6). What lies behind this phrase is some history dating back several hundred years. When the Israelites had gained control of the Promised Land, the land was divided up among families by lot. That is, a lottery was used to determine which family would get which piece of land. Some land was obviously better than others, and that land would be passed down from one generation to the next; it was to remain with that family permanently. Lots were used at various times in the Old Testament to decide a variety of things. The assumption was that since human beings did not determine the outcome, it was really God making the decision: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (Proverbs 16:33 NIV). We still use lotteries to determine many things in modern life, from the assignment of dorm rooms to who gets to speak first in a debate and who gets control of the football first. We still speak of building lots and even our “lot in life.”

It is this latter idea that is at work in Psalm 16. The first four verses affirm the psalmist’s commitment to God, his solidarity with others who follow God, and his alienation from those who follow false gods and will suffer the consequences. Then, in verses 5-6, he says that he is lucky or blessed with his inheritance: “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” But he is not talking about the piece of land he or his family received. He is talking about his whole life. I have some sense of what the psalmist is feeling. Like many Christians, I look back and say, “God has blessed me with a good life.” There have been struggles and losses, but on the whole things have been good.

But the psalmist goes beyond this to say to God that “You are my portion” (Psalm 16:5). In other words, the “lot” assigned to him is not a piece of land but the presence of God Himself. It is not just that the psalmist’s circumstances are good but that the central aspect of his life is the presence of God. Again, I resonate with this. When I look back, I don’t just look at the good things that have happened to me. I also ponder the fact that I was early on given many opportunities to learn about God and be committed to Him. In a very real sense, I did not choose God, but He chose me. He called me. Why me? Why would God call me to be one of His followers? I feel immensely privileged.

Because of God’s call, I have many blessings. These are outlined by the psalmist in verses 7-11 of Psalm 16: the abiding presence of God, God’s guidance (“The Lord counsels me”), joy (“You will fill me with joy in your presence”), peace (“With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken”), and the assurance that death is not the end and we will be resurrected to have eternal blessings with Him (“You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead”).