I’ve been hearing the word “portion” mentioned a lot in Church lately, and I realized that I didn’t really know what it meant. I looked it up in the Bible, which is a very good place for looking up true stuff.
In the Torah, the portion was what each individual gave to God in sacrifice: the best part of their crop and herd, used in part to feed the priests and the poor. In the book of Joshua, a portion is what God gave to each tribe of Israel: its own part of the land. In some places, a good portion of food was given to the favored one. In many others, God’s wrath is said to be the portion of the wicked. The flesh of the slain is the portion of dogs and jackals.
What is a portion? To put it simply, a portion is what you get. You get it because it’s yours, set apart exclusively for you. Whether good or bad, small or great, it’s something you can take and hold on to. Your portion belongs to no one else. And what is the portion of a follower of God? Check out this verse:
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”—Psalm 73:26
My portion is God Himself! Honestly, there is no other I’d rather have than this relationship with my creator. This is eternal life: to know God. The greatest Person in all the universe gave Himself for you. Let’s follow the example of Mary of Bethany, who would let nothing get in the way of her being with the Lord Jesus.
“but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”—Luke 10:42
