What's Your Portion?

Nothing like a funeral to put a little perspective on life. I attended two this weekend! At both we sang, "Amazing Grace," but one included verse three, often omitted. It's my favorite:

The Lord has promised good to me. His word my hope secures. He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures.

The Lord is my portion? What does that mean?

In my daily devotional*, today the reading was from the book of Job where Job's wife, distraught over their losses, urges Job to curse God and die. "But Job replies, 'You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? So in all this, Job said nothing wrong." (Job 2:8-10)

Diane Ebel**, writer of this devotional, says "There are many people who look at the suffering in the world and conclude that God does not exist—and even if he does, they want nothing to do with him. How can you love and serve a God who allows such misery? Job's wife despaired of having a relationship with a God who would destroy her life overnight. She told her husband to abandon his integrity and his relationship with God. Job's response illustrates one of the great truths of Bible: the wise person values the Giver more than the gifts. As common as it is for us to love God mostly because of what he has given us rather than because of who he is, Job shows us that such an attitude is ultimately foolish."

The wise person values the Giver more than the gifts.

If God is our portion, then no matter what our losses or disappointments, we rest in knowing that He is enough. Yes, it takes faith to stand on that. No doubt, we have to remind ourselves--often--that our unfulfilled longings are markers, pointing us to the Source of ultimate fulfillment. But if we hold to this truth that God is our portion, I believe he will show us that he is enough. More than enough, in fact. We have been given God himself, through Christ. What more can we need?

Colossians 2:9-10: ⁹For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Romans 8:38-39: ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

*The daily online devotional I read is called, "Encouraging Words: Daily Devotional for Women." You can sign up for a free subscription at http://www.christianitytoday.com/lyris/subscribe/encouragingwords.html. The devotions are quite short, so it's easy to read one each day, no matter how busy your morning!

**Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions