You are my portion, LORD; I have promised to obey your words. – Psalm 119:57

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 19, 2016): Psalm 119:49-96

Martin Luther believed that every Christian should meet temptation with one short phrase – “Christianus sum” or “I am a Christian.” In a perfect world, nothing else really needs to be said. I am a Christian should be a statement of both character and purpose. I am a Christian speaks to my becoming more and more like Christ. I have definitely not arrived, there is still too much of this world in me, but I am on the journey. I am Christian means that I purpose to make this world a better place with my presence because I am only a steward of this planet, the owner is God (and, really, who wants to mess around with anything that the almighty God owns – now that sounds like a real nightmare scenario.) I am a Christian means that I am committed to the idea of loving like Christ did. It is the new command of Jesus. “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). I am a Christian means that God is enough, if I have him, I really don’t need anything else. God is my portion.

The words of the Psalm bring to mind the idea of inheritance. Then, as now, the death of someone means that the possessions of that person will be divided up among those who are left. In ancient times, the oldest son would receive a “double portion” or two times what any of the other children might receive. The idea behind the “double portion” was not that the oldest child was special and deserved more, but rather that the responsibilities of running the house and the business of the oldest son would mean that he would incur extra expense. The “double portion” sought to help defray those expenses. The Psalmist says that God is his portion, literally that God is his inheritance – and that he needs nothing else. God is my portion, Christianus sum.

I love the word the Puritan Thomas Brooks wrote regarding these words in the mid-17^th Century.

O Christian, when Satan or the world shall tempt thee with honors, answer, "The Lord is my portion"; when they shall tempt thee with riches, answer, "The Lord is my portion"; when they shall tempt thee with preferments, answer, "The Lord is my portion"; and when they shall tempt thee with the favors of great ones, answer, "The Lord is my portion"; yea, and when this persecuting world shall threaten thee with the loss of thy estate, answer, "The Lord is my portion": and when they shall threaten thee with the loss of thy liberty, answer, "The Lord is my portion"; and when they shall threaten thee with the loss of friends, answer, "The Lord is my portion"; and when they shall threaten thee with the loss of life, answer, "The Lord is my portion." O, sir, if Satan should come to thee with an apple, as once he did to Eve, tell him that "the Lord is your portion"; or with a grape, as once he did to Noah, tell him that "the Lord is your portion"; or with a change of raiment, as once he did to Gehazi, tell him that "the Lord is your portion"; or with a wedge of gold, as once he did to Achan, tell him that "the Lord is your portion"; or with a bag of money, as once he did to Judas, tell him that "the Lord is your portion"; or with a crown, a kingdom, as once he did to Moses, tell him that "the Lord is your portion."

Answer your temptations with the words “The Lord is my portion” and I need nothing else. And know that this is the real power behind Luther’s “Christianus sum."

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:97-144