The Lord is My Portion!

I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him’. Lamentations 3:24

In our day, one would normally think of “portion” in relation to which diet they are on and that using portion control is the secret. Yet in the Scriptures, receiving a portion is far more than reducing or controlling your food intake, it has to do with your relationship with God! The phrase, “The Lord is my portion” means, he is enough! When the Israelites were disciplined by God and wandered in the desert for 40 years, they daily received their “portion” of manna. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily” Exodus 16:4-5 (ESV) It was enough, yet in an untrusting, greedy and selfish manner many of them collected more than their portion. God was not pleased and so they received “more” than they bargained for as maggots infested the hoarded portions. On the other hand, some Israelites did not work on the allotted days and so on the Sabbath they did not receive their portion- due to disobedience. God refused to supply a “portion” on the day they were to rest and focus on worshiping him. The LORD did this because the portion he provides comes with a relationship. God Almighty was training his people (His portion) to walk with him, obey him, trust him and depend on him.

A relationship involves two parts, two people. If only one part is involved or shows respect and love for the other, the relationship will eventually fail unless there is radical repentance! Our amazing Father is perfect in his part while we must grow and change. A great relationship is where both people are 100% invested in loving and pleasing the other one. The same is true in our relationship with God. Are you 100% invested in loving and pleasing God? Have you treated God as the one in the relationship who gives and is committed while you simply take from him? Do you see the Lord as your “genie in a bottle” who will grant your wishes? Are you mutually showing love, respect and honor to the Lord as he does for you? Would God see you as his friend or someone who uses him to get what they want? Is the Lord your portion or are you looking for another “lover”?

After weeks of wrestling with God, Carlos Garaicoa is baptized into Christ!

In the Old Testament, two words are used for portion in the Hebrew: ‎cheleq (khay’lek); smoothness (of the tongue) ‎to be smooth (figuratively); by implication (as smooth stones were used for lots), to apportion or separate, deal, distribute, divide, also an allotment: flattery, inheritance, part, partake, portion. The other word is: ‎manah (maw-naw’); properly, something weighed out, i.e. (generally) a division; specifically (of food) a ration; also a lot: part, portion. Our God is our portion…our very great reward. Sad is the disciple who lives to get another gift from God, worshiping the gift rather than the giver! What we have been promised is to partake in the relationship with God as he has allotted, distributed and carefully apportioned exactly as we need. Truly, does a man need more than God? It is He who is the giver of life, breath, our heart beat, the ability to work and produce things, all money and power on the earth is under his control to give or take away. Are you satisfied with your portion: what he has given you, who he has given you and your relationship with Him? Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the tribe of his inheritance — the Lord Almighty is his name. Jeremiah 10:14-16

This past Sunday Chantal Williams shared about her life for communion. She had just returned from the European Missions Conference held in London, England and was greatly impacted! She saw the futility and feebleness of a life-long dream that had been held deeply in her heart since she was four years old. Chantal had her wedding planned, the house she would live in with a red door and a white picket fence all picked out and even the type of husband she would have! While at the EMC she discovered, again, Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. The difference this time is Chantal saw that she had to let go of what her plans were for her life and accept new plans. Plans that God has for her rather than her plans. She realized that her plans were about glorifying herself and making herself comfortable. Chantal shared that she now knows God’s plans for her are to help her bring glory to Him even through suffering. His plans are to lead her to carry her own cross and He is leading her to the cross of Christ. Plans of self-sacrifice, suffering and bringing glory to the Father are God’s “portion” for her…and she is so happy with the new plans! She humbly shared that her plans would have led her away from the kingdom while God’s portion and plan brings salvation! I love how she ended the communion sharing that she could now go anywhere for the gospel!

The scriptures are clear- we are to have no other gods before our God yet it seems so tempting to take the portion Satan offers. Satan offers the world while God offers eternity. Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1

Toni Farquharson with her three daughters and the sisters that helped make her into a disciple!

Seductively, what Satan offers is a temporary feeling that brings guilt, sadness, heartache, darkness, destruction and comes with eternally horrific consequences. While our God offers adoption into His family as he wants to be our Father. Have you been pursuing the wrong portion? Have you been duped by Satan and taken your eyes off the prize? It has been said that obstacles are what we see when we take our eyes off the goal. Is your number one goal in life to get more stuff or to walk with God? He is our goal…our portion.

Finally, as we study the concept of “portion” we can get a glimpse into the heart of our God. He is our portion and yet look at these verses: Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you. When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind,

he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. For the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance. Deuteronomy 32:7-9. He sees us as his inheritance…his portion. “Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.” Zechariah 2:10-13 Our God wants to be with us…he left heaven to do it, lays down his life over and over again to gain his portion…us! We are enough for him, is he enough for you?

He stoops down to make us great,

Matt Sullivan