My portion

(James Smith, "Gleams of Grace" 1860)

(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
 

Psalm 119:57, "You are my portion, O Lord!"

Many people are proud of their possessions, and boast of their wealth; yet their possessions are very limited, and their wealth has wings and may flee away at any time!

A Christian may not be proud--but he has great reason to be thankful.

He can look over the whole earth, and say, "My wealth exceeds all this!"

He can look up and gaze on the starry heavens and say, "My property exceeds this vast expanse!"

He may try to conceive of the greatness and glory of the created universe, and then say, "I claim more than all this!"

Looking up to the Author, Owner, and Disposer of all worlds--he can say, "You are my portion, O Lord!"

What a privilege! A portion--and such a portion.
God Himself in all His greatness, and in all His goodness.
God with all He is, and all He has--is my portion!

What kind of a portion is this? It is immense, for it comprehends all.

All the attributes of the Divine nature, are for us.
All the perfections of God's character, are on our side.
All the productions of the divine power, are for our good.
Therefore the apostle says, "All things are yours!"
Nothing good is withheld from us!

What the father of the prodigal said to his eldest son--our heavenly Father says to every one of His children, "Son, you are ever with Me--and all that I have is yours!"

We may adopt similar language in speaking to our heavenly Father, to that used by the angel to Abraham, "By this I know that You love me, because You have not withheld Your Son, Your only Son from me!" And from this fact, we may draw the same conclusion as Paul did, "He who spared not His own Son--but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also, freely give us all things!"

O beloved, God in all the glory of His nature and perfections, God with all His unsearchable riches--is our portion!

What kind of a portion is this? It is immutable. It remains forever. Others may lose their property, or it may become deteriorated and comparatively valueless--but our portion is forever the same!

Our portion can never be forfeited, or alienated, or reduced in value--because it is the unchangeable God Himself!

Blessed is the man that can say with Jeremiah, "The Lord is my portion, therefore will I hope in Him!"
Or with David, "The Lord is the portion of my inheritance!"

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