My Portion

“You are my portion, O Lord. I have promised to obey your words.” (Psalm 119:57)

The portion was a part of a gift or an inheritance that a person was to receive such as a gift from a father to his children or an inheritance from an estate.

In 1 Samuel 1:5 Elkanah gave a portion of meat to his two wives, Peninnah and Hannah and to Peninnah’s children. However, to Hannah who was childless he gave a double portion to show his love for her.

In 2 Kings 2:9 Elijah was about to be taken up into heaven and Elisha asked that he might receive a double portion of the blessing that was upon Elijah.

David did not ask for an earthly portion, whether it was an inheritance from his father or from the spoils of war. Instead he saw that the Lord was his portion.

Some people today teach a prosperity theology. They say that God will bless us financially if we obey Him. This contradicts Scripture and the teaching of our Lord. When we read the chapter in Hebrews that describes the heroes of our faith we read about those who died not having received the blessing. However, God says that the world was not worthy of them.

Our portion is not an earthly portion or blessing that we may receive as an inheritance from our earthly father but rather our portion is the Lord. When the Lord is our portion we have no other need.

There is, however, a condition attached to the portion and that is we must obey. David knew that the Lord would be his portion because he had promised to obey the Word of the Lord.