The Lord is My Portion and My Cup

When I woke up this morning, I was overwhelmingly aware that all my troubles were still there. So many hard things had replaced carefree days.  Days of leisure and rest had been replaced by days filled with responsibilities and to-do lists. I was also much aware that all the hard things were beginning to steal my expectation for good things in my life.

As I stepped off my front porch step to take my dog outside, the sky in front of me was painted with a beautiful pink-hued sunrise over the mountains. 

Honestly, I admit that my first thought of the day had been one of dread. Long days with family battling sickness, family issues and even training a new puppy had become much too pressing for me. But as soon as my eyes settled on that beautiful sunrise, the Lord reminded me of something I had started to forget. 

We aren’t just simply made for this world full of problems, potholes, setbacks, and disappointments.

We were made for an eternal one. Jesus knew we would have days like mine and needed to be reminded because in John 16:33 He says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” He knew we would be tempted to let the things of this world weigh us down and we would need a loving push to look past this life into the next one. Perhaps more importantly we would need to be reminded to look past what we don’t have right now in our current season to see everything that we do have. To be reminded to take a second look at how beautiful what we have truly is in the here and now. 

He reminded me that the things of this world are only part of what I have and that I am rich beyond measure and blessed and highly favored by a loving God. In Psalms 16: 5-8 I am reminded that, “Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I will keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

I am also reminded by Lamentations 3:24-26 that, “I say to myself, The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

Days in the field of life can often feel long and tiresome.

Sometimes we wonder if hard is all there is. You can easily think that all your best days are behind you. 

Long waits in the good life aisle watching others keep getting what you want in front of you can make you dread your days instead of looking at them with joyful expectation.  Your vision can often become clouded with all the things that you think will go wrong “again” today. You can easily begin to think good things only happen to “her” and “them” and not you. 

Yes, as I looked at that sunrise my problems were still there but also there was an overwhelming sense of God’s presence. All the hard felt doable again and an expectation to see God show up in my day suddenly replaced the dread that was in my heart. Yes, God truly is my portion in this life for gone was the gloomy outlook.  Gone was the downcast spirit. That is just what the Holy Spirit does. It quickens us, raises us up, comforts us and strengthens us to keep moving forward. What a beautiful gift a loving God has given us. 

So let me pass on some encouragement to You today…

Whatever you are walking through right now, let me remind You that hard things are not all there is going to be in your life. You have all the wonders of heaven at your disposal, and God has your future painted in bright beautiful colors. There may be hard things to tackle today, but God has good tucked in between the pages of hard things in your story. It may be a big bright new thing that comes your way and blows your mind.  But never underestimate the magic that He unfolds in the small quiet, ordinary moments of your life. Small whispers and pink-hued sunrises. All are gifts from an intentional Heavenly Father checking on His child and making sure they are going to be ok.  

See you in the field, 

Susan