Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalms 73:25-26 (NIV)
People who are needy - who are not filled with sweet Jesus - can often be so difficult (at best) to be around, Amen? They are always needing their tin cups filled and no matter how many “rocks” of affirmation or encouragement or goods or whatever we may place in them, it will never be enough. Like a two year old opening a present then reaching for yet another before they even look at the first. They will still be found wanting – the “rocks” shaking loudly because there are still empty spaces abounding.
What they need is to be filled to overflowing with the Living Water of the Lord Jesus and all else that is given is superfluous, just the cherry on top – nice but not necessary. The fullness of Christ Jesus fills everything in every way. Nothing satisfies completely apart from God. Just ask Solomon when you get to heaven. He was the wisest and wealthiest and tried it all yet, he came to the same conclusion. All came up short.
Jesus Christ is the perfect portion worthy of our choicest affections. Why should we set our hearts on the perishing lower objects of nature when He offers us the chance to take hold of the life that is truly life? Believers in their lowest earthly condition can enjoy God as their portion. The world is perishing and not worthy of our highest affections but with Jesus as our portion the richest would be a beggar to us. He is the portion of an exceeding weight of eternal glory. We are not to set our hearts on earthly treasures (that will be burned up) when we can have the desire of all nations to set our hearts upon. The portions of this world are fleeting. Do not put your hopes in them as they are merely shadows not substance. As believers in Christ Jesus, death separates us from earthly portions but God gives us our full portion and it will never be taken from us – we have a sure eternal inheritance. Store up for yourselves treasures there.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:3-7 (NIV)