The Lord is my portion;
I have promised to keep Your words.I sought Your favor with all my heart;
Be gracious to me according to Your word.I considered my ways
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.I hastened and did not delay
To keep Your commandments.The cords of the wicked have encircled me,
But I have not forgotten Your law.At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You
Because of Your righteous ordinances.I am a companion of all those who fear You,
And of those who keep Your precepts.The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O Lord;
Teach me Your statutes.(Psalm 119:57-64)
The theme of this lesson is David’s statement, “The Lord is my portion” (Psalm 119:57). What does this mean? And how is it connected to the overall theme of this psalm (the word of God)? Let us consider these questions.
What is a “Portion”?
“The Lord is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words” (Psalm 119:57).
When the psalmist said, “The Lord is my portion,” what did he mean? The Hebrew word (chêleq) refers to one’s share, territory, or possession. It is sometimes used – and it certainly is in this context – to refer to that which is awarded from God.
We could think of this portion in terms of God’s grace and His blessings for us. It would be accurate to say these are our portion from God. Yet David said, “The Lord is my portion.” Not only do we have the good things we have received from God (James 1:17), we have God Himself as our portion. This is why Paul wrote, “Instruct those who are rich…not to…fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God” (1 Timothy 6:17). We must put our trust in God, not the blessings which come from God.
How can it be said that the Lord is our portion? Consider the definition we noticed above. Our portion is our share, territory, or possession.
- The Lord is our share – “For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end” (Hebrews 3:14). If we remain faithful, we will have our share in the goodness and blessings of Christ.
- The Lord is our territory – “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13). But we must not forfeit our place in the kingdom, as “all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness” will be gathered “out of His kingdom” (Matthew 13:41).
- The Lord is our possession – “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light” (Colossians 1:12). We have “a living hope” that we will “obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for” us (1 Peter 1:3-4).
But how can we have the Lord as our portion? This gets us back to the theme – the word of God. The word tells us of God’s goodness, His grace that has been extended, and the hope that we have. The word also tells us what we must do to receive the Lord’s reward. The Hebrew writer said, “And having been made perfect, [Jesus] became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:9). Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” (Matthew 7:21). This is why David, as he reflected on the fact that God was his portion, said, “I have promised to keep Your words” (Psalm 119:57). We must vow to do the same.
We Must Seek God’s Favor
“I sought Your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your word” (Psalm 119:58).
To seek God’s favor first requires us to recognize the need for God’s favor. “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). We could do nothing on our own to make our condition right. Therefore, Jesus was sent to make atonement for our sins. “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
But although grace has been extended through Christ, we must seek God’s favor. Forgiveness is conditional. Those who are non-Christians must be “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” in order to receive “forgiveness of [their] sins” (Acts 2:38; cf. Acts 22:16). Christians must “repent…and pray” in order to “be forgiven” (Acts 8:22; cf. 1 John 1:9).
David sought God’s grace “according to [the] word” (Psalm 119:58). This is important. He was not seeking special treatment – unlike the rich man who wanted Lazarus to be sent back from the dead to warn his brothers (Luke 16:27-28). The brothers of the rich man had the writings of “Moses and the Prophets,” but he did not think this was sufficient (Luke 16:29-30). He did not believe in the power of God’s word. David did. Many today are like the rich man. They wait for some special “calling” today. Yet the way God calls us is through the gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:14), which is His power for salvation (Romans 1:16). We must seek God’s grace through His word because that is sufficient.
We Must Obey God’s Word Without Delay
“I considered my ways and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I hastened and did not delay to keep Your commandments” (Psalm 119:59-60).
Receiving God’s grace and seeking His favor require obedience on our part. We are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8), but not unconditionally. God’s grace, in addition to “bringing salvation,” also “[instructs] us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12). God, through His grace, offers salvation. But God, through His grace, also teaches us what we must do to please Him. Notice what David did:
- “I considered my ways” (Psalm 119:59). As Paul said, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). This takes honest self-evaluation on our part.
- “Turned my feet to Your testimonies” (Psalm 119:59). Whenever we find that we have drifted off of the strait and narrow way (Matthew 7:13-14), we must repent and turn back to the ways of the Lord.
- “To keep Your commandments” (Psalm 119:60). We must put forth a diligent effort to obey. James wrote, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22).
As we evaluate our lives, turn from sin, and obey the Lord, we must do this without delay. David said, “I hastened and did not delay to keep Your commandments” (Psalm 119:60). This must be our attitude as well. Salvation is an urgent matter; we must not put it off. The Philippian jailer recognized this and was baptized “that very hour of the night” (Acts 16:33). After telling the parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-12), Jesus explained the lesson from the foolish virgins who were not ready when the bridegroom came and were locked out of the wedding feast: “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13). We do not know when the Lord will return (2 Peter 3:10) or when we will pass from this life (James 4:14). Therefore, we must be ready for the judgment at all times. If we are not prepared, it is urgent that we make the necessary changes without delay.
We Must Never Forget God’s Law
“The cords of the wicked have encircled me, but I have not forgotten Your law. At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You because of Your righteous ordinances” (Psalm 119:61-62).
“The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O Lord; teach me Your statutes” (Psalm 119:64).
Even when we suffer at the hands of the wicked (Psalm 119:61), we must remember God’s law. Peter wrote, “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:14-15). In the face of suffering, we must be ready to answer. This necessarily means we must remember God’s law.
Even while it is night (Psalm 119:62), we should remember God’s ordinances and judgments. This is not the only time David mentioned the night as a time to remember God (Psalm 119:55, 148). We can do this, but only if we have God’s laws in our minds and written on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10). We will not give thanks to God or meditate upon Him in the night if we have forgotten His word.
We need to reflect upon the blessings in creation as we observe that “the earth is full of [His] lovingkindness” (Psalm 119:64). God’s providential care in creation reminds us to trust Him and seek His kingdom (Matthew 6:26-33).
We Must Surround Ourselves with God-Fearing People
“I am a companion of all those who fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts” (Psalm 119:63).
“The Lord is my portion” (Psalm 119:57). Yet this is not just for one person. This is for all who will follow Him. Paul told Timothy, “In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).
We are in this together. Notice what Paul wrote to the brethren in Philippi: “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that when I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). Christians are to be of one spirit, one mind, and striving together.
As much as possible, we should surround ourselves with godly people. This means we take advantage of every opportunity to assemble with the church – “Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25). It also means we will spend time with Christians outside of the assembly – “from house to house” (Acts 2:46) – so that we have more opportunities to encourage our brethren (Hebrews 3:13).
Just as we should strive to surround ourselves with God-fearing people, we must also try to limit the corrupt influence of the wicked people in the world. Paul said, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). In his first letter to Corinth, he warned the brethren, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
The more people we have in our lives that influence us for good, and the less people who influence us for evil, the better chance we have for obtaining God’s promise.
Conclusion
For the faithful, the Lord is our portion. We have received His grace and look forward to realizing our hope. We seek His favor through His word. We must do so urgently, mindfully, and together.
This entire series is available in paperback. Click on the link for more information – The Psalm of the Word: A Study of Psalm 119.
