Scripture

Lamentations 3:24 (New International Version)

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Consider

What does it mean to say, The Lord is my portion? Other Bible translations offer different phrasings: The Lord is all I have (GNT); My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance (TLB); and, The Lord is everything I will ever need (NIRV).

Better than an inheritance of money or land, the portion God promises to us as his legitimate heirs is HIMSELF! He calls us into a deep, personal, and eternal relationship he calls friendship. Moreover, he declares in Psalm 16 that he will guard that friendship so that it can never be lost or cancelled.

The Lamentations passage goes on to say that, because God Himself is our portion, we will wait for him. Again, other translations expand on this word wait to mean hope, trust, depend, or abide him. This “waiting,” therefore, is not a passive sitting around but an active pursuit of God while confidently watching for him to act. In other words, when we are in difficult circumstances and waiting for rescue or relief, we continue to actively seek God in prayer, in Scripture, and in worship. As we quiet ourselves and wait for God, we hear him and see him in everyday moments, in ways we might otherwise miss in our busyness or worry. God uses our waiting time to teach us and heal us and grow us toward the perfection of Christ.

Remembering that God Himself is our portion changes our expectations of others. If we deeply and profoundly believe that we can depend on God for everything, then we will be less offended and disappointed when people fail us. While we wait for God, he bathes our souls in his goodness and mercy and faithful love. Filled up with his grace, we will be less inclined to accuse and criticize others. Rather, we will be moved to love and accept and forgive them.

Pray

FATHER, I marvel at your generosity. Through no goodness of my own, you called me to Yourself and lavished on me the inestimable gift of your love and friendship. Grow my faith, dear Father, until I can fully rely on you as the sovereign Lord of my life and my relationships. Forgive me for the times I take my portion in You for granted. Teach me what it means to wait for you expectantly and to find my joy and peace in the fullness of knowing you.

Reflect

Psalm 16:5; John 15:14-15; James 2:23

Challenge

How would your relationships change if you could fully grasp the concept that God Himself is your portion?