The Lord is My Portion

The Lord has dealt so tenderly with my heart this morning. As I wrote in my journal - which is also a form of prayer for me - I wrote these words:

I'm jealous they get to hug their mom and sit with their mom. They get to talk to their mom and laugh with their mom. They get to miss their mom and then fulfill that longing with seeing her. I only get to miss my mom.

After I vented my feelings, I then asked Him to help me:

Father, I need you to work in my heart. I need you to go before me. I need you to fight for me - for my mind and my heart. Help me to be thankful.

And then "for some reason" this verse was recalled to my mind:

"The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup."
Psalm 16:5

I love to read commentaries and go deeper in my study of Scripture. My favorite website for doing this is found HERE. I can type in any verse in the search bar, and choose from a list of commentaries on the right side of the screen. And let me tell you, today's study rocked my heart.

As I am struggling with feelings of jealousy of what others have - their moms - the Lord spoke to me so graciously and tenderly. The commentary for Psalm 16:5 from the New John Gill Exposition is absolutely beautiful. I cannot write it any better myself, so here is an excerpt from it:

Speaking of PORTION:
"This is said by Christ as a priest, and in allusion to the Levitical priests, who had no inheritance in the land of Canaan with their brethren, but the Lord was their part and portion, and their inheritance, (Numbers 18:20) (Deuteronomy 18:1,2) ; and it expresses the strong love and affection Christ had for the Lord as his God, the delight and pleasure he had in him, and the satisfaction he had in the enjoyment of him and communion with him, and that it was his meat and drink to serve him, and to do his will."

Speaking of CUP:
"And assigns to me my cup, as of blessings, so of sorrows and sufferings, which being measured out, filled up, and put into his hand by his Father, he freely took it, (John 18:11)"

As I read those words I began to think of the Levites and how they were given no physical inheritance as the rest of the tribes of Israel were given. Instead, they were simply, but beautifully, told that the Lord was to be their inheritance. The Lord would provide for them. The Lord would be enough for them. I mean, really, how awesome and how marvelous is that?! But then I thought, I wonder if they were ever jealous of the other tribes? I'm sure they would have loved to have their own plot of land to call their own. Even Jesus himself said, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." - again this picture of no physical inheritance. But God was their portion.

It is so easy to look around and notice the things we don't have and to be jealous. We all long for something we don't have. For the Levites, I'm sure there were times when they wanted their own physical inheritance. And for me, it just so happens to be my mom. But just as the Lord told the Levites in Numbers 18:20, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel." I feel Him telling me the same thing. "Jordan, even though you no longer have your mom physically with you, I am your portion."

When there is a hole in our heart of something we long for, that is the very place where God meets us and says, "I am your portion. Don't look at what I have given to others. This is the allotment I have given you, and I am enough to fill the places where you feel empty." 

The author of Psalm 73 is a man named Asaph. When he looked around at the world, he became envious of the prosperity of the wicked. But he then reminded himself in verse 26:

"My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever."

God is enough. He wants to fill the empty places. 

Also in Lamentations, the author begins chapter 3 with these words, "I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath..." And then he reminds himself:

But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."
Jeremiah 3:22-24

There are so many examples in Scripture of people who had the opportunity to be jealous and to feel short-changed by looking around at the prosperity of others. And to each of those individuals the Lord always reminded them that "I am your portion."

And today, the Lord has so graciously reminded me...

"I AM YOUR PORTION." 

And God wants to say that to every single one of us! In the very place where we find ourselves saying, "I wish I had ____this____," we can hear Him say right back to us, "I am your portion."

"This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."