The Lord Is My Portion
By Pamela Blattner
“Who have I in heaven but you, Lord, and earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Psalm 73:26
Two of my grandchildren crave sugar! They dawdle through a meal, saying they’re full and can’t eat any more…UNTIL I encourage them to eat nutritiously by dangling candy as a reward. It’s amazing how the eating pace immediately shifts to lightning speed! The sad thing about cravings like sugar is that they’re never-ending…the more one gets, the more one desires, even to the point of unhealthiness. And it’s no different with emotional cravings: They never satisfy. Bill Gaultiere states, “Craving becomes a big problem if your longing is for acceptance or self-worth, and you keep striving to achieve it. You can never accomplish enough. Never be attractive enough. Never keep people happy with you. Many addictions and much unhappiness come out of craving for things other than Jesus.”(1) Unlike unhealthy cravings, the more we get of Jesus Himself, the MORE He satisfies.
Of course, our need for Jesus requires us to make life adjustments that take time. They’re certainly uncomfortable, so we must resist choosing spiritual “quick fixes.” Those “quick fixes” take on a lot of forms. We rely only on our pastor’s sermon to make everything better for one week, until we crawl back into the Sunday service wasted from battling the world. We depend on a good worship leader to usher us into God’s sweet presence, drawing in just enough of the Lord to make it until the next week. How many times do we exit a church service like a deep sea diver, dependent on the external tank strapped to our backs until the next refill comes along? Friends, everything we need for spiritual satisfaction is in the Lord: in His Word, His Presence, Worship of Him, service to others for Him. He is our portion now…and forever.
If we decide to succumb to our worldly cravings, and don’t allow God Himself to be our portion for fulfillment, we lose our battle to the unhealthy things we crave. Gaultiere continues, “Lord Jesus, I wouldn’t even want to be in heaven if you weren’t there and this earth has nothing that satisfies me except You. My own strength and abilities often fail, but with you living in my heart I have all the power I need and more joy than I can contain.”(1) We live in a world that is increasingly filled with trouble; a world that offers cravings and addictions that can never satisfy. I love remembering that God is our portion. He is the only Desire who truly satisfies.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Invite the Lord to be your portion today.
FURTHER READING:
Psalm 119:57; Isaiah 58:11; Jeremiah 10:16
(1) Bill Gaultiere, www.soulshepherding.org, 10/26/11 post.
Pam and her husband Richard have two adult children and three grandchildren. She serves Oakwood through its Prayer Ministry, and Touched Twice Ministry.
