God is My Portion Forever

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

When both our physical bodies and the courage of our hearts fail us, which every Christian will experience at times, God will still be an unfailing source of strength.  That is part of what being our portion means.  God does not promise to always alter or remove the adverse circumstances that are a burden to us.  But He can always be depended on to intervene and tip the balance of the spiritual equation in our favor.  He will always give strength to hearts that look to Him in faith.  The Christian will be enabled by the Holy Spirit to overcome those desires and lusts which dominate the rest of the world.  God not only gives us strength, He gives us Himself.  I think the basic idea this conveys is that whatever the Lord denies us, whatever He brings into our lives, He will always be sufficient to meet our every need.  George Swinnock captures the meaning of this when he says, “ The Christian can be happy under the greatest outward misery.  What weight can sink him who has everlasting arms to support him?  What can sadden him who has infinite bounty and mercy to supply him?  Nothing can make him miserable who has God for his happiness.  O Christian, may you walk so that the world may know you are above their fears, and that all their allurements are below your hopes!” 

God is Our Portion

"The Lord is my portion”, says my soul (Lamentations 3:24).  In the world, children inherit the property and estate of their parents.  That is their portion.  God Himself is the portion of His children.  Thomas Brooks explained why nothing can satisfy the soul without God, “Our God is a suitable portion.  No object is as suitable to the heart as he is,  He is a portion that is exactly suited to the condition of the soul in its desires, needs, wants, longings and prayers.  All the soul needs is found in God.”  The point that Brooks is making is very important.  If a man is in prison, condemned to die within the hour, what value would the news that he has just inherited a very large estate have for him?  No matter how beautiful the estate is, it has no value to the condemned man because it fails to meet a more pressing need.  It would not please him or give him joy, because it does not suit his present condition.  But if someone arrives with news that the condemned man has been granted a pardon, what cause he has to rejoice!  Brooks concluded that, “The highest good is that which is the most suited to do good to the soul.  God is thus the most excellent portion suitable to the soul.”  I have personally found this subject to be very edifying and fascinating.  God willing, it will engage our attention for a few days.