The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. Psalm 16:5-6

 

The Lord is my chosen portion

 

Typically an inheritance isn’t something that you choose, but it chooses you merely through circumstantial relations and ties in this life. My husband is Lebanese and the village that his father’s family comes from is comprised of plots of land that have been passed down to generations for centuries. Now “new people” have begun to move into this village. Their houses and land come through purchasing their chosen property. 

This idea of choosing my portion, the Lord, is like anything that involves the Kingdom of Heaven—earthly matters are turned on their head. So the Lord is my chosen portion, my chosen inheritance.

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The word “portion” is often used in the Old Testament in the sense of an inheritance, especially in a spiritual sense. The prophet Jeremiah claims in Lamentations 3:24-25, “‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” 

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Even the Levites had no property to claim for their own and pass on to their children; the Lord gave them something far more valuable than earthly land. He gave them Himself as inheritance: “Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord your God said to him.” Deuteronomy 10:9

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and my cup; 

 

The word “cup” is a metaphor for one’s experiences, whether good or bad, blessing or judgement. Psalm 23:5-6 says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

 

The Lord gives His children a wonderful, overflowing cup. So much goodness and mercy that the cup can’t contain it all. This is the inheritance we choose. 

 

you hold my lot

 

Other versions say, “You hold my lot secure.” If our lot, our circumstances, situations, and even fate is secure in God, we can rest secure knowing that what lies around the corner for us isn’t governed by chance or enemies or luck. God has our wellbeing in mind and hold it in His strong hand.

 

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places

 

These boundary lines that King David is rejoicing about are the marked boundaries that God measured off for his kingdom. But these also refer to the boundaries around the expanse of my life, with the Lord Himself being both my center and my ultimate inheritance. His ways are pleasant. 

 

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

 

This beautiful inheritance, called delightful in other versions of Scripture, include every blessing belonging to the children of God, every believer who have walked and will walk on earth.

 

Our spiritual inheritance is blessings and promises of the Christian faith, passed down from one generation to the next. It is our knowledge of God, His wisdom in the Scripture, a legacy of faith and righteousness on earth, and of course, our eternal reward of the security of eternity with Jesus Christ. Forever fellowshipping with God is the ultimate inheritance. 

 

1 Peter 1:4 describes “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade,” and how can it if our inheritance is an eternal God and all of the shining goodness He gives? Below is our inheritance promised from now through eternity:

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Goodness — 

 

Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple! Psalm 65:4

 

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!Psalm 107:1

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

 

Mercy —

 

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 

as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:8-12

 

Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Joel 2:13

 

Faithfulness —

 

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations. Deuteronomy 7:9

 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3:23-24

Love —

 

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

 

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

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Grace —

 

 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Exodus 34:6-7

 

 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:-9

 

Compassion —

 

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. Psalm 103:13-14

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 

Kindness —

 

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us. Titus 3:4

 

God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. Romans 2:4

 

“With everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer. Isaiah 54:8

 

In the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7

 

With God as our Reward, with gratitude we must serve Him!