My Portion

"You are my portion, O Lord." Psalm 119:57

What does it mean to have the Lord for our portion? The Levites didn't get land like the rest of the tribes of Israel, God was to be their portion. (Numbers 18:20) They were not to work ordinary jobs of raising crops or herds, so they didn't need land. Their calling was service to the Lord in His tabernacle/temple as priests and workers. He would provide for them, they just had to serve Him.

Most Levites were not priests. They were tabernacle/temple servants, often with lowly jobs such as carrying wood and water, cleaning, setting up and taking down the tabernacle, repairing tent walls, polishing, and grounds keeping. Service to the Lord is not always glamorous.

The Levites had no farms or vineyards or livestock or land to leave for their children. The only inheritance they could pass on was an example of a life lived in service to the Lord and an opportunity to do the same.

The call to make the Lord our portion is not just for the priests and Levites anymore, it is for all Christians. It doesn't mean all will end up in full time ministry, although some will. Taking the Lord's portion means a life consecrated for service to the Lord and not men or yourself.

This consecration is not just for within the walls of the church, as the duty of the Levites was serving within the House of the Lord. It is to be fulfilled in our homes, at our regular jobs, among family and friends, in daily life.

The less we take of the portion the world offers, the more of God's portion we are given. What He gives is infinitely better. The Lord's portion is offered to all believers, but it's more than an offer, it's a calling for all believers. You are called to a life of service to the Lord.

I've seen many, many Christians ignore this calling, settle for less, content with the portion that the world hands out. They believe the lie of the enemy that there's such a thing as too spiritual, that a life of service is only reserved for only a special few. They've been so sadly deceived.

Wake up, Church! The Lord is our portion, the call is for you. Go out and let your life be consecrated for the work of the Lord. Don't settle for less! Obeying this call will be the best thing that's ever happened to you.

Hang up the dust pan

"Let us go into His tabernacle; let us worship at His footstool." Psalm 132:7

In the Exodus, God directed Moses to have the people make a tabernacle for Him, a sanctuary where God's presence would dwell among them. It was basically a tent, you can read more about it here. That was where the people went to worship God. Their access to Him came through the tabernacle and the sacrifices performed by the priests there on their behalf.

Today, God's presence is no longer limited to a tabernacle. Jesus came so that He could tabernacle, or dwell with us, not in a tent. Because of His sacrifice we always have access to God, anywhere anytime. We can always come into His presence and sit at His feet, worshipping, praying, listening. The problem is, we don't, at least not very often.

Through Jesus we have unlimited access to the throne room of God. He's waiting to meet with us, but we're too busy to come and tabernacle with Him. What are we busy with, what keeps us from coming to Him? Work, play, entertainment, errands, family, home, life.

To be truthful, we're off somewhere serving idols, because really, anything that we put before spending time with the Lord is an idol. What are you putting before Him, what's your idol? Mine is often housework or laundry, and you know what, I don't even like housework and laundry! I'm putting things I don't even like before spending time with the Living God. How sad is that? It's time to let the dishes wait and hang up the dust pan, because the Lord is waiting to meet with me.

My Newest Nephew

For those of you far away family members who read this blog, introducing...

Dayne Hunter Niles

Born August 18, 2009 at 8:59 am

To Lauren and Brandon Niles (and big brother Logan too!)

8 lbs. 1 oz. 19 inches

Fuzzy hair.

Cute as a button!

More Vacation Photos

These ones are featuring faces! Matt and I on the shore in Monterrey.

Gemma at a park in Chinatown, San Francisco.

Gemma riding a carousel on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.

Me looking up at the amazingly tall trees in the Redwood Grove at Henry Cowell State Park, Santa Cruz.

Matt and Gemma in the Redwood Grove.

Vacation Photos

A few of them, anyway. We took hundreds and hundreds of pictures. We saw so many beautiful and cool things. We've been back for almost a week from out travels to Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Monterrey, Big Sur, and Moro Bay. We saw such a huge diversity of landscapes: big city, quaint sea side towns, rugged coastline, beaches, forests, sandy beaches, cultivated gardens and parks, and so many interesting people. Anyway, pictures...

Redwood tree at Henry Cowell State Park, Santa Cruz.

The ground in the redwood grove was carpeted with clover, the trees covered in moss. Everything was so lush and green.

Family picture at Sand Dollar beach.

At the campfire in Moro Bay.

I learned how to eat with chopsticks in Chinatown, San Francisco. I've never been able to manage them before!

Chinatown

The Golden Gate Bridge, from Chrissy Field. We were lucky to see it! I had to wait for the fog to lift momentarily to get a good shot.

Pigeon Point lighthouse off Highway 1.

Gorgeous coastline off Highway 1.

Starfish in Monterrey Bay.

Hopefully more to come, maybe with some more people, but the scenery was stunning, so we have more of those kind of pictures.