Lamentations 3:24

NASB	NLT	VOICE
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I wait for Him.”	24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”	24 Have courage, for the Eternal is all that I will need. My soul boasts, “Hope in God; just wait.”

God Sustains Us

What does it mean for the author (assumed Jeremiah) to say that the Lord is “my portion/inheritance?” This phrase reflects a deep statement of faith during a moment of suffering. In ancient Israel, the term “portion” describes an inheritance or a share of land, which was a way to have security and an identity. For the Levites, who had no land inheritance, God was their portion. They had to rely on God as the ultimate source of sustenance. This declaration came from the soul. It’s not something intellectual, but involves their mind, will, and emotions. This hope is not just a wishful thinking, but it’s a confident hope based on God’s character and promises. The author is finding hope in God’s faithfulness and mercy, which are new every day. This hope comes from a relationship between God and his followers.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How does God sustain you?

Finding Sustenance in Stressful Times

How do you stay true to God in moments of stress? It’s very easy to be so overwhelmed by the stress and the emotions that come with it that we cannot focus on God’s promises, provisions, and more. We can start to focus on our survival and getting through our own struggles instead of pushing through to allow God to fight for us. God is always our provision and source of strength, but we can get so caught up in fight or flight that we lose aware of His presence.

When we can stay true to God, we find stability. We know that nothing around us and nothing that we go through will be able to take us away from God. When life feels unstable, God is our stability. When life feels chaotic, God is our peace. When life feels shaky, God is our firm foundation. God gifts us the strength and portion we need to get through our days. Each day is new through God, and we can ask God for the strength each day. We ask, “give us this day our daily bread.” Give us what we need to get through today. Tomorrow will have its own problems, but they will stay for tomorrow. We ask for the sustaining powers of God to help us survive through what we eat, what we drink, what we hear, what we say, and more. God is found everywhere, and we can find our portion in Him everywhere we look.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Where can you find God in your world?

PRAY ACTION

Praise God for His sustaining energy. The ability to get through every day in our fallen world is a gift that can only come from God.

Read Hebrews 6:19

Ask God to be your anchor. When things around you feel rocky and shaky, remember that you serve a loving God that is always with you.

You deserve sustenance. Food, water, relationships, and more. You deserve everything you need to survive the ups and downs of this world.

Next slice of manna: Trusting God for Strength and Renewal || Isaiah 40:31 || Manna for the Mind #348