One of the highlights of my week was worshipping through an old French hymn that popped in my spirit. The hymn was very fitting as it reinforced what the LORD was reminding me of in this season of my life. You see, when you read the Psalms, they not only teach you about singing to the LORD, but they also teach you about who God is and how to even respond in circumstances and the whole gives you the right way to worship. The hymn in question is called “Tu es Seigneur, le Lot de mon cœur”, which translates as “You are Lord, the portion of my heart”. This is a common theme I have been seeing in the Psalms lately and I wanted to dig in deeper to understand what that means for the LORD to be your portion. Many synonyms were coming to mind as I thought of the word “portion” such as “lot”, “part” or even “inheritance”. In the Bible, these synonyms are used interchangeably to mean the same thing. In this post, my goal is to seek to answer what it means for the LORD to be your portion and how that impacts the way you live your life on earth.
Lamentations says “‘The LORD is my portion’, says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him’” (Lamentations 3:24). A similar statement is found in the Psalms “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.” (Psalm 16:5). These two verses talk about the LORD being the “portion” or the “lot” of the declarant. In Lamentations as is the case with other Psalms, because the LORD is the portion of the declarant, the consequence is that they can put their trust in the LORD. In biblical times, casting lots was a popular way to know what the will of the LORD was for a person. It was also the process God used to divide the Promised Land to people of Israel through Joshua (Joshua 18:10). The closer reference we have to casting lots in today’s context is flipping coins. I am not too sure how the actual process worked but it is clear that at the end of the casting, whatever the lot fell on or whoever it fell on that was the “portion” attributed or the “chosen” one for the task like it was with the selection of the twelfth apostle who would replace Judas (Acts 1:26). Saying then that the LORD is my portion is to say that the LORD is mine or belongs to me. It is not to say that you are in control of the LORD but instead that you submit to LORD and the course of action that He takes. To say that the LORD is your portion is to proclaim that you submit to His ways. Just like it was when a lot was cast, there was no argument in the results of the lot in the same way, when the LORD is your portion, you do not argue with the decision the LORD takes. I find it to be such a beautiful thing to have the LORD as your portion because you get to have the best part. This is what Jesus was referring to concerning Mary when he told Martha that “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42). Having the LORD as your portion is sure, it is certain, and it cannot be taken from you. You can rest in the fact that He will always be there for you. How can anyone not want this? I wonder, was this what the LORD was teaching the Israelites when He set apart the Levites, saying that He was their portion? As you know, among the twelve tribes of Israel, the Levites were the only tribe that did not get a land as an inheritance simply because the LORD said He himself was their inheritance (Joshua 13:33; Ezekiel 44:28). To the eyes of the world, the Levites might have appeared to be poor, beggars even, to be dependent on the benevolence and generosity of their fellow countrymen but in reality, they were the richest of them all! They lacked no good thing, they were always provided for (Deuteronomy 18:1; Numbers 18:24), they even had the best food portions, they lived in the Temple of the LORD, they had direct access to the LORD in comparison to the other Israelites, they interceded on behalf of the people, they could even hear from the LORD, and they had the privilege to serve the LORD in His Temple. These are a few of the benefits that came from having the LORD as their inheritance. Somehow, David understood this truth and he made the LORD his lot. He decided to be under the yoke of the LORD, to let Him rule over all his affairs. That is why David would often cry out to the LORD and declare that the LORD was his portion, that he could lie down in peace because the LORD was his fortress. David knew that in the arms of the LORD there is safety, there is rest, there is peace, there is joy and there is abundance. The LORD as your portion is more than just a safety net. He is the One that guides you (Psalm 25:4-5), directs your steps and gives you salvation. He delights in doing these for us. When I think about this I am beyond astonished, I am in awe that a God like this, as powerful and mighty as He is would delight to bless me, to care for me, to save me. Why then do I make small gods my portion? Why do I make the riches of this world my portion? The Most-High is my portion, He is the good portion, and the only portion that will last forever. Father, would you open the eyes of my heart to see how good you are, how sufficient you are for me. Make me see the futility and foolishness of the idols of my heart, help me see them for what they truly are, then I will renounce them, my eyes will not delight in them, and I shall teach others to do the same.
Like Mary, let us choose the good portion that is the Lord Jesus Christ. We can have the LORD as our portion just as David had, or even the Levites. In Christ, we have been given an inheritance that is imperishable, that no one can take away from us. Indeed, by dying on the cross, Jesus secured our inheritance and the Holy Spirit is its seal (Ephesians 1:14), he reconciled us to the Father (Colossians 1:19), clothed us with His righteousness, cleansed us of our sins, cancelled the debt that was ours, cancelled the accusations that stood against us (Colossians 2:14), and the LORD blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Therefore, when we accept that Jesus has done all these and submit to his authority and lordship over our life, we receive our new identity as sons and daughters and our glorious inheritance. Yes, those of us in Christ have the good portion, Christ is our lot therefore we can run to him with all our trouble, distresses, difficulties and so on because He is present and able to handle whatever we throw at him. He has overcome the world, so we too will overcome it. Amen!
A Word Aptly Spoken 