You may have noticed I am toggling back and forth between 1 Peter and Psalm 16 right now, with an occasional study on current topical circumstances. Last week I posted a study titled God’s Own Possession taken from 1 Peter 2:9. This is where we are currently studying in our Women’s Bible Study which meets each week. I also get to meet with a group of people once a month in an assisted living center where we are going through Psalm 16. I have posted previous studies on this Psalm. Below is a quick review of the first four verses.
The Truths we have learned –
God is our protection (v.1)
God is the source of all that is good (v.2)
Because of God we take pleasure in serving one another (v.3)
Those who do not follow God will reap sorrow (v.4)
In Psalm 16:5 we read that God will sustain us now and forever.
Psalm 16:5 The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; Thou dost support my lot.
The word portion is translated from the Hebrew word manah, meaning something weighed out, a division, specifically of food, a ration. When the nation of Israel wandered in the desert, God supplied their food daily in the form of manna. He was their only source of provision. David understood this truth.
Who or what is your source of provision? Do you look to things or to God for your daily bread? Not just what you eat, but for everything needed to sustain you physically and spiritually? Does your strength for each day come from His grace in your life affecting your thoughts, actions, words, and purpose?
“The Lord of heaven and earth is the God whom I serve: he who is the supreme dispenser of all things hath given me a kingdom for my portion, where he himself is worshipped; and he will defend and maintain my title to it while I adhere to him”, Patrick/Lowth/Whitby/Lowman Commentary.
We do not often speak of Asaph, pronounced aw-sawf. He was one of the leaders of David’s choir. He wrote Psalms 50 and 73-83 and was later celebrated as a prophet as well as a musical composer.
Read what Asaph writes in Psalm 73:26 – My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. The Psalmist knows he is unable to rely upon himself. He turns to God for his strength and sufficiency. God provides comfort and will meet all our needs in times of distress.
Psalm 62:7 On God my salvation and my glory [rest]; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?
Lamentations 3:24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him."
Look a bit closer at the above scriptures.
Our salvation and confidence rests upon God
He is our strength and refuge
The Lord is our light and salvation
There is no reason to fear
He is our defense
He is everything we need
God is the source of our hope, and He is our inheritance.
How does understanding these truths affect your life each day?
“We, too, can make our boast in the Lord; he is the meat and the drink of our souls. He is our portion, supplying all our necessities, and our cup yielding royal luxuries; our cup in this life, and our inheritance in the life to come. As children of the Father who is in heaven, we inherit, by virtue of our joint heirship with Jesus, all the riches of the covenant of grace; and the portion which falls to us sets upon our table the bread of heaven and the new wine of the kingdom. Who would not be satisfied with such dainty diet? Our shallow cup of sorrow we may well drain with resignation, since the deep cup of love stands side by side with it, and will never be empty”, The Treasury of David.
Where do you look for fulfillment?
We look to many things for pleasure. Perhaps you like to read or watch television or see a movie. You might look to the next time family or friends visit. A delicious meal, nice weather, and traveling are things people look forward to. You may think of certain hobbies or sports teams you keep track of. Each of these things are enjoyable. However, they are all temporary. If we are looking to our fulfillment in relationships or things that are fleeting, what happens to our joy? It ebbs and flows like the tide in the ocean. Our time then is spent seeking our next moment of pleasure rather than the security and fulfillment we have in Christ.
Lasting joy is based on God who is always with us and always the same. The Lord Jehovah is our everything. In Him, there is everything we need now and for the future. He will give us the exact portion of what is needed – not too much, not too little – to walk through each circumstance in our lives in a way that will honor Him. Even when we experience sorrow or hardship, the love we have from God will never cease or run empty.
‘Thou dost support my lot.’ God will sustain us. In Him there is security. He will prevail over all adversity. If you are His child, there is no question of your eternal security in heaven. Think of God’s attributes.
He is LOVE, 1John 4:8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
He is ETERNAL, Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were born, or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.
He is OMNIPOTENT (all powerful), Jeremiah 32:27 "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"
He is ONMISCIENT (all knowing), Psalm 139:1-4 O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known [me]. Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, and art intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all.
He is OMNIPRESENT (always present everywhere), Psalm 139:7-10 Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Thy hand will lead me, and Thy right hand will lay hold of me.
He is IMMUTABLE (never changing), James 1:17 Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.
He is JUST (perfect in judgment), Deuteronomy 32:4 "The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
He is GRACIOUS (displaying compassion), Exodus 34:6-7a Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin;
He is FAITHFUL, 1Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
He is MERCIFUL, Psalm 86:5 For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee.
What an amazing God we have! Look at David’s words again in Psalm 16:5.
The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; Thou dost support my lot.
Can you say this with confidence?
Is God your everything – for now and for the future?
What is your hope?
Do you believe in His promise to sustain you through all things?
Stop for a moment and praise God for who He is and what He has done for you. God’s peace will surround you at all times and through all circumstances if you remain focused on Him and your future in heaven.
You can be certain of your future in heaven if you have called upon His name as Lord and Savior and placed your complete trust in Jesus alone for forgiveness of your sin and His promise of salvation.
