Solomon tells us that “a happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing” (Proverbs 17:22, AMP ). God undoubtedly has a sense of humor; we need only look at some of the animals He created (it’s hard not to smile at the sight of a hippo, a monkey, or a puppy). Or think of some of the married couples you know: don’t you think God was smiling at the wedding as He looked ahead to the interaction of the wildly different personalities that will be living together?
In researching the concept of portion, I discovered another incredible truth: we are God’s portion, His inheritance. He not only says, “you get Me”; He adds, “And I get you.”
The idea starts with Moses: he has prepared the second set of tablets, and God has come down and proclaimed His name. Moses says, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us…and take us for your inheritance†(Exodus 34:9 ESV). Later, as he gives his final words to Israel, Moses tells them, “the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day” (Deuteronomy 4:20 ESV). In “Moses’ Song,” he says,
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples
according to the number of the sons of God.
But the Lord’s portion is his people,
Jacob his allotted heritage. (Deuteronomy 32:8 — 9, ESV)
This idea continues throughout the Old Testament; the psalmists, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah proclaim that the people of God are His inheritance, portion, and heritage.
We don’t typically choose our inheritance; the tribes of Israel didn’t get to choose: it was given to them by lot. When I visited my parents last year, my mother ask if there was anything in particular I would like to have of their “stuff.” While I have a reasonable expectation of getting my father’s old Royal typewriter someday, it’s not guaranteed. The distribution of an inheritance is left to the giver, not the receiver.
So ponder this: God — Almighty God, Maker of heaven and earth — considered His options, and asked Himself, “what do I want for My portion? What’s the one thing that I want as My inheritance? And the amazing answer is us, His people. Three times in Deuteronomy He declares, “The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” In Deuteronomy 7, He goes on to explain that it’s not because they were anything great — in fact, they were rather insignificant; rather, they were chosen because He loved them.
This idea is echoed by the apostle Peter, who reminds us that we are
- a chosen race,
- a royal priesthood,
- a holy nation,
- a people for his own possession.
Almighty God, loving Father, thank You for choosing us, for choosing me. I’m humbled and amazed that Your love sought me. Help me to fully grasp what it means when Your Spirit whispers, “I get you.”
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Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Dan, all of these posts about Mary, and God as our portion and we as God’s portion, are beautiful. I love the figure of Mary, and have always imitated her, since I first read her story. The image of her sitting at Jesus’ feet is, in my imagination, an icon of my own spiritual journey: having found Christ, seeking only to be close to Him.
It reminds me of one of my own favorite lines from scripture, Psalm 16:
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup …
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
yea, I have a goodly heritage.
Have you ever meditated much on Martha? I only recently began meditating on her, not in Luke’s portrayal of her, but in John’s, in the story of the death of Lazarus in chapter 11. It’s made me feel a little guilty over how I’ve passed over her in the past as being too caught up in “worldly†things and busyness – and made me feel I have much to learn from her.
After Lazarus’ death, Martha, not Mary, is the one who goes out to meet Christ, and confesses her faith and trust in him and in the resurrection, while Mary remains at home in grief. Martha, the hard-working realist, in this scene may have been closer to reality than Mary: the reality that in Christ, we will live forever, and so should not despair even in death.
It’s just a thought; but here may be a key for helping develop a spirituality of the laity, living and working in the midst of the world and family. It’s a constant dilemma for us in the world who long to be close to Christ.
Aimee — I too like Psalm 16, the idea that the boundaries of my life have fallen in pleasant places, and I’m pleased that at 42 I’m finally in a place where I can this is true!
I’m glad you mentioned Martha as we see her in John. Truthfully, I never paid much attention in that story to which sister said what to Jesus. After hearing so many sermons titled “Martha, Martha,” I’m afraid I didn’t give her any more thought. I’ll have to meditate on this for a while. You raise an interesting idea that the sisters offer different — and appropriate — responses based on their calling and personality. Thanks for sharing this! — Dan