May 18

The Psalm Of Inheritance

Then the LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites. — Num 18:20 BSB

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.” — Lam 3:24 BSB

It is a wonderful thing to look upon God as our portion, to know that there is nothing in His nature that will not, in some way, contribute to our strength and joy. This is like the early days of settlement in the American West or in Australia. A family would travel with their belongings until they reached their allotted land. At first, they would camp at the edge, exploring it and going back and forth, knowing it belonged to them but that it needed cultivation. In the first year, they might cultivate only a small portion of their territory, but as the years passed, they would expand, pushing their fences farther and farther out until all the land was cultivated.

So it is with the nature of God. When we first come to know Him, we grasp only a small part of His love’s breadth, length, depth, and height. But as we go through the trials and temptations of life, losing earthly things along the way, we come to rely on God more and more. Slowly, we begin to understand the immensity of our inheritance in Him, an inheritance that can never be fully explored or exhausted. No wonder the psalmist bursts into thanksgiving, saying, “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance” (Psalm 16:6-7).

A devout soul rejoices in God as their great inheritance. When God is always present in our thoughts, when we turn to Him constantly throughout the day, a quiet peace and rest settle over us. We are no longer shaken by anxiety over the present or the future. Death itself will make little difference, for the body, which clouds our vision, will be left behind, and the soul will be free to explore its inheritance—an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading (1 Peter 1:4-5).

Prayer

We thank You, O Lord, that in Christ all things are ours, working for our good and carrying us toward the glorious destiny for which You are preparing us. Amen.