The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and PORTION be
as long as life endures.

I've sung those words hundreds of times through the years... In fact, we sang them this past Sunday morning at BVBC. They come from what is undoubtedly the most-sung hymn in the Christian church, Amazing Grace, by John Newton.

There are a couple of men with whom I have a standing appointment twice a month, and each time we gather we select a reading plan or a passage of scripture that we then read in our respective times of private worship and we discuss it at the subsequent meeting. Right now we are reading a topical plan focusing on Obedience. As I was journaling this morning's entry, I saw Psalm 119:57:

"The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words."

It wasn't until I started writing in my journal that I really paused over this verse. My portion... I thought about that word. What is a portion? It's the amount of something allotted for a given purpose or person. For example, when my wife makes chocolate chip cookies, my PORTION is not the whole batch; it's the amount set aside for me.

I also thought about a few songs that use that word. One such song says, "God is the strength of my heart and my PORTION forever..." Another says "You are my Shield, my Strength, my PORTION, Deliverer..."

My portion...

I've sung such songs for years, coming to a point where I understand the rendering of the word "portion" as meaning, "All I need." It speaks of God's sufficiency. And so, this verse from Psalm 119 brings a new chapter to my understanding. If He is truly all I need... now or ever... how does that affect my life in practical ways?

I've often considered God's sufficiency in terms of salvation. My faith is in Christ, that is sufficient for salvation. I've considered it in light of my material possessions and the nature of our American culture always to want more. If I believe his is all I need, then I approach "things" in a different manner than I would otherwise. But I can't honestly say I've considered God's sufficiency as a free-standing, contributing factor in my obedience to Him.

In the context of this series of scriptures I've been reading that focus on obedience, it became obvious to me today that if I truly believe that He is all I need, then it should be reflected in the ways I obey His word. Whether I am faced with a choice of right or wrong, good or bad, easy or difficult, I can choose the response that He would have, knowing the whatever needs I might face in light of choosing obedience will be met by His sufficiency. He is my portion.