God himself, the believer's portion. In Psalm 17, verse 14, David prays, With your hand, O Lord, save me from men of this world, whose portion is in this life. Worldlings may boast of their treasures and pleasures, but the Christian counts all this as loss and dross when compared to the surpassing worth of knowing the Lord. If our portion is in this poor world, then we will perish with it. But if our portion is the Lord himself, then we have a treasure that never disappoints or decays, that no thief can steal, and no time can tarnish. You are my portion, O Lord. God is unchanging in his love, unlimited in his mercy, and unfailing in his grace. What greater comfort can a soul have than to know that the Almighty is his everlasting portion? You are my refuge, my portion. How surpassingly glorious is the portion of the Child of God! Not merely peace of conscience, not merely deliverance from hell, not merely the hope of heaven, but God Himself is our portion. The true believer does not chiefly desire the gifts of God, he pants after the giver himself. He does not primarily long for the place where there is no more death or mourning or crying or pain, but for the immediate unhindered presence of the Lord, who loves him and gave himself for him. The highest expression of divine love is not that God grants us many blessings, but that he gives us himself. To say, the Lord is my portion, is to confess that our portion is infinite, unchanging, and all satisfying, for he is all that and more. What greater assurance can the soul have than to know that the omnipotent, omniscient, all-wise and infinitely good God has pledged himself to be our possession for ever? How shameful it is, then, when the hearts of believers grow cold towards God and crave the fleeting vanities of this world! How poor are those who possess earthly treasures, but not God! and how rich are those who have nothing on earth but can say, The Lord is my portion. This truth sweetens the believers' every sorrow. When health fails, when friends forsake, when comforts vanish, still the soul may say, My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. O believer, meditate deeply on this. Your inheritance is not primarily what God gives, but who He is. Yes, the essence of heaven is to behold God's glory, to be with Him, to possess Him forever. And let us not forget that every believer is God's portion as well, for the Lord's portion is His people. Yes, our chief delight is that I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine. O Lord, you are my eternal portion, my treasure, my joy, my all. Strip me of all false treasures. Detach my heart from the fleeting and the fading. Turn my eyes from worthless things and fix my gaze on your beauty. Anchor my soul in the eternal, the glorious, the unsearchable riches of knowing you. Be my delight, my sufficiency, my portion, both now and forever. Amen.