THE LORD AS OUR PORTION

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Psalms 16:5-8
(5) The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
(6) The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
(7) I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
(8) I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

"These are very blessed things spoken of, both as they relate to Christ, and to his people in him. Jesus in his human nature, uniformly made Jehovah his portion, and looked unto him to maintain his cause, and carry him safely through his vast undertaking. He not only considered it his meat and his drink to do his Father’s will, but his redeemed he considered a goodly heritage. And what is it to his people but the same? They who have chosen God for their portion, find that portion to be a goodly one, and are fully satisfied with Jesus, for they need no other." ~ Poor Man's Commentary, Robert Hawker

There are many disappointments in this life, many sorrows, many hardships that we all must go through at one time or another. People can hurt us, disappoint us, not live up to our expectations, and life can take unexpected turns, leading us where we don't want to go. For the believer in Christ, he learns through all of these things, that Christ alone is his portion. We soon learn that if we make anything else in this life that, we will be unsatisfied, and maybe even plunged into despair. When we first came to Christ, asking His forgiveness, receiving His Spirit into our hearts, He became our portion. But it took time as we learned of Him and grew in our spiritual walk to learn to trust Him to be that to us. Though He IS our portion - the portion of every believer - we fall short of trusting Him to be that in our lives. It is as we learn to abide in Him daily, eating and drinking of Him, that we learn to partake of the satisfaction that only He can bring.

John 6:53-56
(53) So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
(54) Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
(55) For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
(56) Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

Acts 17:28
(28) for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.' We need to see that all that happens to a child of God, is to enable us to be more and more free of ourselves and this world's grip, and to see God alone as our sufficient portion. The more we learn that, the more satisfied and at peace we become, regardless of circumstances, good or bad. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being. We find that to be true when we turn to Him in dependence upon Him as we learn to serve Him. We learn that to do His will becomes our "food and drink."

John 4:34
(34) Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

We look to relationships to satisfy a longing in our hearts. Sometimes the Lord gives us those blessed relationships in family and friends. Sometimes we find ourselves alone, without the human companionship we long for. Either way, we must learn that the Lord is our portion. If we are not satisfied in Him first of all, we will never be satisfied in a relationship either. We'll demand from others what they cannot give, and we'll never find them to satisfy. But as we give up our needs and longings to Christ, He becomes our portion, and to live for His will and His glory becomes food and drink to us. Every other relationship will be an extension of that which we have in Him. He'll make us a blessing to others around us. As the Lord becomes our portion in this life, we are able to bring that same life to others, so that He may become theirs as well.

What is the "food and drink" of my soul? What do I spend my energy on? What is my delight? Lord, cause me to see You more and more as my portion! Help me to see the things that distract me from that. The more I see Him as my portion, the more I desire what He desires for me and from me. The more I see this world being overtaken by evil, and an antichrist mentality, the more I see the Lord alone as my portion. This world is not my home. My citizenship is in Heaven, though I am a pilgrim on earth. The more I have eyes that are heavenward, the more I see my true purpose in this world, and the clouds fall away, and the way seems more and more clear to me. I see all that happens to me in a different light, and from a different, heavenly, perspective. Life has meaning and purpose that no man on earth can take away from me. Nothing that happens to me can separate me from my portion with Him. In fact, the more life throws at me, the stronger that awareness of Him as my portion becomes, and the greater my satisfaction in Him.

Joshua 18:7a
(7) The Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the LORD is their heritage.

"But how beautifully are we again told in this place, that the Levites were not included in these grants: the priesthood of the Lord being their inheritance. Dearest Jesus! here again I behold thy loveliness. Thou art our inheritance, and our portion forever; for thou hast made us a nation of kings and of priests, to God and the Father. Revelation 1:6." ~Poor Man's Commentary, Robert Hawker

We may wonder why we have no inheritance in this world when it seems those who hate God prosper and have so much, and seem to be so successful. They persecute believers. They steal, kill, and destroy all that belongs to Christians in this world, taking it as their own. They oppress the poor and the weak. It seems that the wicked are inheriting the earth, not the "meek." But we have a greater heritage and one that is eternal, and even now in this world, He is our portion to sustain us and satisfy us, with promise of what is to come. Others may have their portion now, but only for a short while until they are held accountable for all they have stolen and devoured. We must wait for ours, patiently, enduring as we do. Yet there is no doubt of the value of that which we wait for, expectantly.

Romans 8:31-32
(31) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
(32) He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Abba, the unspeakable gift you have given to us is beyond our comprehension! Don't let us miss, even now, the portion You have for us as we walk here in this earth...as living in it but not of it. Cause us daily to remember that You are our portion.

Psalms 73:25-26
(25) Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
(26) My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Amen! May it be so Lord Jesus!

If you are not sure you have eternal life, if you want to know more about salvation through Jesus Christ, and how you can be sure, you can read more about it here.