I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Psalm 142:5
Having material things is the desire of most people. It gives them a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction with having more and more, giving them identity in who they are. With more things there is also a feeling of protection and provision, no fear of lack. The world often sees those who do not have a physical abundance of things as those who have not made it or have failed in life.
David calls out to God claiming that God is his refuge and portion in this world.
People will often find refuge behind the things that they have. Having a bigger house, better car, better paycheck or anything else more than someone else makes people feel safe and successful.
Although having a lot of things can be successful in the moment, all those things can be also removed in a moment. Fire, theft, lay-off or some other disaster can remove physical things faster than they were acquired. There is no true safety in material things of this world.
Believers can sometimes get caught up in this same mind-set. Belief that with having more things it is a sign that God loves them more and has given them more favor.
While God does bless people with things, those things are not what is the most important blessing. The greatest blessing a believer has is God. No one and nothing can take God away from one who believes in Him and follows Him.
Regardless of how much or how little a person has, the believer is rich in God and has something that the world can never have nor understand–eternal and abundant life. God’s presence provides for more than having all the material wealth of this world.
You may have been blessed with a lot of things or you may not have been so blessed. Either way, do not put your hope or trust in those things. Recognize what you have in God. He will always be there for you and is able to give you a full and abundant life that far surpasses what anything this world can offer you. Focus your life on having God and He will provide abundantly for all that you need. Allow Him to be your portion.
Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know what you have in God; that God will be all that you need; and that you will trust God to provide all that you need.
Picture by Tom Podmore on Unsplash
Leave a Reply