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portion

Fruitful Day 4 Lasting Joy: Digging Deeper

August 26, 2021 by Rachel Jones Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Lasting Joy!

The Questions

1) How can God be the psalmist’s “portion and cup of blessing?” (verse 5)

2) What does it mean for “the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places”? (verse 6)

3) What does abundant joy look like? (verse 11)

Psalm 16

Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.
2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good besides you.”
3 As for the holy people who are in the land,
they are the noble ones.
All my delight is in them.
4 The sorrows of those who take another god
for themselves will multiply;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
and I will not speak their names with my lips.

5 Lord, you are my portion
and my cup of blessing;
you hold my future.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me
in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I will bless the Lord who counsels me—
even at night when my thoughts trouble me.
8 I always let the Lord guide me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad
and my whole being rejoices;
my body also rests securely.
10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol;
you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
11 You reveal the path of life to me;
in your presence is abundant joy;
at your right hand are eternal pleasures.

Original Intent

1) How can God be the psalmist’s “portion and cup of blessing?” (verse 5)
Psalm 16 is a thankful prayer to the Mighty God from David, the youngest son and lowly shepherd-turned-king of Israel. David declares, “Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future.” (Psalm 16:5) Author Joseph Benson describes David’s allusion of “portion” and “cup” to “the ancient manner (…) in feasts, in which each had his portion of meat and of wine allotted to him.” In this case, David is pleased to have Jehovah as His portion because to have God is to have the source of all things. Author David Guzik notes, “God said to the priests in the days of Moses: ‘I am your portion and your inheritance.’ (Numbers 18:20) David understood this was a promise (…) to all who would trust God to be the portion of their inheritance.” To have the Lord as one’s portion was to have everything one needed. If David could choose from any potential portion, he would choose the Lord only His cup is full of blessings. Author Charles Ellicott cites Psalm 11:6 to demonstrate that the figure of cup “had already become a synonym for “condition in life””. David was thanking God that his condition in life was blessed because he trusted in the Lord God. The same is true for us today, if God is the Lord of our lives. No matter what we need or what we face, God as our portion is more than enough for us. His cup of blessing is all we need or could ever want.

2) What does it mean for “the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places”? (verse 6)
David understood God was the Author of his life and he described his joy by saying, “the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places”. (Psalm 16:6) Author Charles Ellicott explains, “The allusion is to the ‘measuring cords’ by which allotments of land were measured, and they are said to ‘fall’ possibly because after the measurement the portions were distributed by ‘lot.’” (Joshua 17:5; Micah 2:5) In ancient times, land was measured and divided among inheritors by casting lots (similar in concept to modern dice) to determine who would receive which portion of land. Author David Guzik notes that “David was the youngest son [who] could expect no inheritance from his family; yet he took joy and comfort in the fact that God was the portion of his inheritance . . . The lines that marked out his inheritance had fallen to him in pleasant places.” David rejoiced that God had given him a blessed life with God as his inheritance. The Lord, in His goodness, had provided fellowship with God Himself as the pleasant boundary lines marking David’s life. David knew this was better than inheriting the choicest fields or the largest estate for a life lived with God meant rich joy! He declared, “You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.” (Psalm 16:11) When we invite God to be Lord of our lives, we also experience the same good inheritance David celebrated. We rejoice because God made a place for us with Him. Our boundary lines couldn’t have fallen more wonderfully!

3) What does abundant joy look like? (verse 11)
In Psalm 16:11, David declared to the Lord, “In your presence is abundant joy”. He did not follow up with descriptors to embellish his meaning, instead, his description of abundant joy preceded his declaration. The entire chapter describes what it looks like to have abundant joy because it describes life in God’s presence. David writes of God’s presence as a refuge. (Psalm 16:1) He also described the joyless, sorrowful life of those outside God’s presence. (Psalm 16:4) David discovered the unspeakable, all-satisfying joy of choosing God as his portion, cup, and inheritance. (verses 9-11) God counseled David when he had troubling thoughts and guided him (verses 7-8), which was part of the joy of being in God’s presence. David’s confidence came from knowing he would never be shaken if he remained with God; what great joy! (verse 8) Because God was with him, David had confidence in the Lord; this confident, experiential knowing of God made his heart happy and brought him peace. (verse 9) David knew God would neither let him waste away nor abandon him. (verse 10) He was joyful in knowing God would lead him where he should go; again, what peace! (verse 11) Not only did David experience the joy of God’s presence on earth, but he was confident in experiencing eternal pleasures at God’s right hand. (verse 11) Author Alexander Maclaren suggests, “First, life here may be God’s presence with us, to make us steadfast. And secondly, if so, life hereafter will be our presence with God to make us glad.” For David, and us, abundant joy comes from being in God’s presence and realizing He is our All. He provides for our needs and cares for every issue we face. Thank You, Lord, for the joy of Your presence!

Everyday Application

1) How can God be the psalmist’s “portion and cup of blessing?” (verse 5)
As little kids, we would always bicker about who got the bigger piece of cake or who rode in the front seat. With my own kids, I learned someone will always complain about the sibling who received the “better” triangle of PB&J sandwich. Why are we so often dissatisfied with what we have, comparing it to everyone else’s and finding it lacking? David did just the opposite. He took one look at the portion given to him in God Himself and rejoiced! He knew that those who served other gods would have sorrows multiplied (Psalm 16:4), but those who served God had a pleasant “portion and cup of blessing” (verse 5) David realized that God was supremely the best he could possibly receive. It wasn’t about his circumstances, which varied from his life being hunted down to being celebrated as King. His blessing was found in the Lord God. In Him alone was found everything! Author John Piper asserts, “Nothing satisfies — nothing nourishes and sustains — the way [God] does. He is my greatest good. My treasure of all treasures. My highest pleasure. My chosen portion of sirloin. My cup of finest wine.” It is so easy to look at someone and envy what they have or feel disappointment in what you have by comparison. However, if we recognize, like David, that God’s Kingdom is more than the temporary, finite things we see, we can appreciate the Lord as our portion. He is our inheritance! (Ephesians 1:3, 11) Because of the “cup of blessing” we have from God, we have the counsel, guidance, protection and provision of the Almighty God at every moment of our everyday lives! Our portion is Him who holds everything together (Colossians 1:17), knows everything (1 John 3:20), and loves us without end (Psalm 100:5). When we have all of this in abundance, we have need of nothing else. In fact, we have so much that, instead of envying others, we can share our “cup of blessing” with everyone by sharing Jesus with them!

2) What does it mean for “the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places”? (verse 6)
My friend owns some farm land, and often finds his neighbors subtly encroaching on his property. One put up a fence a few feet over the boundary line, and one built a little shed on a shared dirt roadway. If things get contentious, a surveyor comes out to prove the boundary line, so he can get his land back. I think of my friend when David writes about “boundary lines” in Psalm 16:6. For David, however, there was no arguing or contention. He was not scheming to get more or lamenting his lack. He was pleased with the Lord’s boundary lines, His blessings and providence. Keep in mind that David’s life was neither easy nor trouble free. In fact, his life was often filled with military battles, personal conflicts, and sadness so deep it would qualify as depression today. Despite his hardships, David rejoiced in God being on his side. (Psalm 56:9) He could turn to God when his soul was troubled (Psalm 16:7); he confidently knew he would not be shaken when God was for him. (Psalm 16:8) With this deep trust in God, His peace prevails. David said his whole body could rest securely knowing God was in control. (Psalm 16:9) David also experienced joy and gladness from remaining inside God’s boundary lines and not pushing beyond. (Psalm 16:9) My prayer is for each of us to fully recognize the blessing it is to have boundary lines from the Lord that fall in pleasant places regardless of circumstances. God Himself is our good inheritance. I hope we live like David did, completely aware that God is for us, He is blessing us and providing for us daily, no matter our circumstances.

3) What does abundant joy look like? (verse 11)
People spend a lot of time, money, and energy pursuing joy. We try new fads and buy pricey gadgets we hope will bring happiness. We explore new hobbies, build bigger houses, purchase fancier cars, and adopt pets. Whatever promises to fulfill our longing for joy, we pursue it. This looks different for each of us. C.S. Lewis wrote, “I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are not substitutes for Joy.” None of these pursuits are bad or wrong in themselves, but they won’t bring us lasting joy to satisfy our deep longings. True joy only comes from God. In verse 11, David tells the Lord, “In Your presence is abundant joy.” In Psalm 43:4, the psalmist calls God his “greatest joy”. Romans 15:13 says God fills us with joy. Jesus tells us if we keep His commands and remain in His love, His joy will be in us and our joy will be complete. (John 15:9-11) Sometimes we get frustrated because knowing God and being in His presence doesn’t mean that we are exempt from sorrow. How can our joy be complete if we still feel sadness? Author John Piper says, “fullness of joy in this life does not [mean] that all competing emotions are excluded. We rejoice, and we weep, even simultaneously. But in the resurrection, this won’t be the case anymore.” We experience joy here on earth even while we still experience painful emotions, but when we are eternally in God’s presence everything changes. With God, there will be no more tears. (Revelation 21:4) We can experience the joy of the Lord even now, on earth, and live in joy forever with God in Heaven. This joy doesn’t require purchasing the latest, greatest gadget, we simply accept it as a free gift from God (Romans 3:24) when we put our trust in Him.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Lasting Joy!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Fruitful Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up
to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Posted in: Digging Deeper, Fellowship, God, Joy, Kingdom Tagged: abundant, blessing, boundaries, Fruitful, knowing, Lasting, Mighty God, portion, Rejoiced, Rich

Relentless Day 7 Faith Or Fear: Digging Deeper

September 17, 2019 by Rachel Jones Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Faith Or Fear?

The Questions

1) How can I wait quietly for the Lord when I am desperate for help?

2) What does it mean that “the Lord is my portion?”

3) Why should God’s love and mercy give me hope?

Lamentations 3:21-26

Yet I call this to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the Lord’s faithful love
we do not perish,
for his mercies never end.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness!
24 I say, “The Lord is my portion,
therefore I will put my hope in him.”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the person who seeks him.
26 It is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.

Original Intent

1) How can I wait quietly for the Lord when I am desperate for help?
The original Hebrew title of the book of Lamentations, ekah, means Alas!  But, according to John McArthur, “rabbis began early to call the book “loud cries” or “lamentations.”  The author, Jeremiah, weeps for the calamity that God’s people have brought upon themselves because of their love affair with sin.  Even in this tragic time, though, the Lord brings hope.  Charles Swindoll notes, “at the center of this lament over the effects of sin in the world, sit a few verses devoted to hope in the Lord (Lamentations 3:22–25). This statement of faith standing strong in the midst of surrounding darkness shines as a beacon to all those suffering under the consequences of their own sin and disobedience.”  Jeremiah determines to wait quietly for the Lord’s salvation.  According to Ellicott’s Commentary, waiting quietly means “wait in silence: i.e. abstain from murmurs and complaints.”  Jeremiah understands that waiting on God without complaining brings him closer to His rescue.  Matthew Henry notes that quietly waiting is “not quarrelling with God nor making ourselves uneasy, but acquiescing in the divine disposals.”  Quietly waiting on God is yielding to His will and trusting He is in control, even when we don’t understand His plans. It is only possible if we love and trust God and acknowledge that His plans for us are for our good, even if it’s a “good” we don’t yet understand. God told Israel in Jeremiah 29:11 that His plans for them included a hope and a future.  Likewise, He promises us in Romans 8:28 that He is working all things out for our good. God promises He has destined true believers for eternal salvation and not for wrath in 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10. We can wait quietly for God’s help, even when we are in distress, because we trust His plan for us.

2) What does it mean that “the Lord is my portion?”
The book of Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah at a time when the great city of Jerusalem was devastated by the Babylonian invasion of 586 B.C.  The book is full of Jeremiah’s descriptions of the pain and desolation around him, but it also contains the hope Jeremiah finds in God. That hope was found in Jeremiah recognizing God as his portion and satisfaction. Author David Guzik points out, “Jeremiah found the key to satisfaction—finding one’s portion in the LORD. Whatever measure he was to receive, whatever inheritance, whatever future, it would all be found in Yahweh.” Having the Lord as our portion means recognizing God as our ultimate source for every need. Bible commentator John Gill says this about the Lord as our portion: ”All he [God] is, and has, is theirs; they are heirs of him, and shall enjoy him forever, and therefore shall not be consumed; he is a portion large and full, inexpressibly rich and great, a soul satisfying one, and will last forever.” Matthew Henry, another theologian, states, “It is our duty to make God the portion of our souls, and then to make use of him as our portion and to take the comfort of it in the midst of our lamentations.” Recognizing the Lord as our portion is important if we are to make it through hardships in life.  With the Lord as our portion, we can always find comfort and hope.

3) Why should God’s love and mercy give me hope?
Some scholars find in the Jeremiah of Lamentations a picture of Christ.  Author Ray Stedman notes, “As you read through this book, you will find many foreshadowings of our Lord weeping over the city of Jerusalem.”   Author John J. Parsons points out that “in many profound ways, Jeremiah pre-figured the prophetic ministry of Yeshua (Jesus).”  Jeremiah also prophesies and previews some of Christ’s main teachings, including salvation and our hope in His unfailing love and endless mercy.  Jeremiah reminds himself that the Lord is always loving and always merciful, which gives him hope knowing God would be with him and help him in the terrible situation the Jewish people were in after the Babylonian invasion and destruction of Jerusalem.  Jeremiah also prophesies about Jesus’ coming, when God will make a new covenant with His people.  God will forgive their sins and write His law in their hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34).  Author Tim Mackie asserts that Jesus’s life and death announced “the dawn of Jeremiah’s “new covenant.” Jesus would die for the sins of his own people, and simultaneously bring about that great act of forgiveness anticipated by Jeremiah.”  How amazing to see God’s plan for a Savior revealed to His people to give them hope even in their darkest days.  His love and mercy are truly remarkable!

Everyday Application

1) How can I wait quietly for the Lord when I am desperate for help?
Several years ago, I experienced unexplained vertigo.  I was anxious, wondering how I would care for my family if I couldn’t even stand without the room spinning.  I needed to get better fast, not wait on the Lord.  Yet waiting is what Jeremiah recommends in Lamentations 3:26 where he proclaims, “It is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.” Waiting did not seem good to me. But since I was dizzy just lying in bed, there wasn’t much else to do but call on God and wait for His intervention.  I began to understand Andrew Murray’s assertion that God “will never disappoint us.  In waiting on Him we shall find rest and joy and strength, and the supply of every need.”  Quietly waiting on God helped me determine that a prescribed medication was the cause of my vertigo, and I quickly improved.  But waiting on God also taught me I can trust Him with everything.  God showed me that is purpose in the waiting.  Andrew Murray says, “The waiting is to teach us our absolute dependence on God’s mighty working, and to make us in perfect patience place ourselves at His disposal.”  While I waited, my panic abated, and I recognized God was in control and watching over me.  It is not easy to wait when we want the answer NOW, but sometimes it is part of God’s plan.  In Psalm 33:20, David resolves to “wait for the Lord; He is our help and shield.”  In Micah 7:7, Micah vows he “will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”  Once I calmed down and waited patiently for the Lord, He came to my rescue and became my Refuge.

2) What does it mean that “the Lord is my portion?”
I grew up spending summers with my sister and seven cousins at my grandma’s house.  We had lots of fun, but there were inevitable squabbles, usually over who got to drink out of the favorite green cup or who got the biggest slice of apple pie.  We each wanted ours to be the biggest and the best.  I think of that mindset when I consider the idea of the Lord as my portion.  If I want the best for my life, it is most definitely found in the Lord.  Charles Spurgeon called God’s portion the “infinite possession.”  He said, “It is better to have our good God than all the goods in the world: it is better to have God for our all than to have all and be without him.”  To have the Lord as my portion is to have the hope of eternal salvation and the hope of present refuge in God (Psalm 142:5).  To have the Lord as my portion is to have blessings found only in Christ and hope for an eternal future (Psalm 16:5). When I have God, even when I am weak, He makes me strong (Psalm 73:26). When you accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior from your sin, He becomes your portion.  He takes all of you and gives you all of Him; a trade that works infinitely in your favor!  When God is the Lord of your life, He promises to “supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).  In Matthew 7:8, God promises “everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”  To have the Lord as your portion is to have all that you need . . . the infinite possession indeed!

3) Why should God’s love and mercy give me hope?
In Lamentations 3:21-22, Jeremiah says he has reason to hope because he is reminded of God’s faithful love and his never ending mercies.  We can find hope in God’s love and mercy, too.  Ephesians 2:4-5 tells us, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!”  God, through His grace, extends salvation to us through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, who took our sins on the cross so we could be forgiven and have eternal life if we believe in Him.  When we have Christ in our lives, we have great hope.  1 Peter 1:3 tells us God has caused us to be “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  We have the hope of life eternal with Jesus, but we also have the hope of friendship with God while we are living this life here on earth.  Jesus tells us in John 15:14-15, “You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father.”  This communion with God is a wonderful way God provides hope to His children!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Faith Or Fear?

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Relentless Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up
to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Posted in: Brave, Busy, Courage, Deliver, Digging Deeper, Enemies, Faith, Faithfulness, Fear, God, Hope, Judges Tagged: Deliverer, God, gracious, hope, love, portion, psalms, pursue, relentless, satisfaction

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