My Portion
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria charged over the sea onto land. They huffed and puffed with powerful winds destroying whatever stood in their paths. They poured out huge amounts of water causing flood conditions in many areas. People who could, evacuated. Some returned to great loss. These powerful storms stirred up fear and left behind destruction.
It’s not only hurricanes that come into our lives causing fear or calamity. The Bible records a time when David thought he had lost everything. He crouched in a dark cave hiding from King Saul who wanted him dead. David had to flee for his life, leaving behind his home, family, and friends. Feeling alone and desperate, David cried out to the Lord.
"I pour out my complaint before him; before him, I tell my trouble." Psalm 142:2 (NIV).
David was in a state of fear and confusion. He visualized the worst; yet in his crying, David had a moment of clarity.
"I cry to you, O Lord; I say, 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.'" Psalm 142:5 (NIV).
When he looked beyond his situation, David saw hope. The Lord was his portion, an ample share, a treasure trove of goodness and blessings set aside specifically for him. David may have been alone in a cave, but he had all he needed because he had the Lord.
At times, we may react to a catastrophe like David reacted. We look at what we no longer have rather than seeing what we do have.
Loss comes in many forms. It may be a decline in our health. It may come as a broken relationship that causes major changes in our life. Loss can occur in our career or in our finances. We may be grieving the passing of a loved one. There are many variations in types of losses, but our responses tend to be similar – fear, confusion and eventually depression. We cry out to God and question his plan for our lives.
Most likely we won’t come to clarity until we’ve bemoaned our circumstances, but whatever our loss, it’s important to remember what we still have. It was during his darkest hour that David found clarity. We can do the same by remembering God is our resting place, a refuge in the midst of loss. He will never leave us or forsake us. The Lord more than compensates for anything we’ve lost. He is our eminent blessing. The Lord fills every empty space in our being. With him we are perfect, lacking nothing. He is our abundance. The Lord is our perfect portion.
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:26 (NIV)
Copyright © 2017 Doris Hoover, used with permission.
