HE IS ENOUGH

Lamentations 3:24 “The Lord is my inheritance, therefore, I will hope in him.”

Recently, my daughter made a decision that both surprised me and delighted me. After doing very well on back to back science tests, I told her that she could select her reward. I thought she would select a toy, maybe a trip for ice cream, or a few hours with a close friend. But what she requested warmed my heart. She said, “Daddy, I wanna go on a date with you, just me and you.” So my daughter and I spent an evening together. I was compelled to ask her why she chose this particular reward. She replied, “I just wanna be with you”. She was completely satisfied just sitting at the restaurant with me, going shopping with me, and hanging out with me. She did not ask for anything additional and did not become distracted at all. She had all that she wanted on that evening.

John Calvin once wrote, “For all who are not satisfied with God alone, are immediately seized with impatience.” Our level of true satisfaction with God is often measured in our most difficult moments.

The Prophet Jeremiah wrote the Book of Lamentations in the midst of great adversity. He leads us into a powerful truth. We cannot stand firm in difficult times, unless we are content with God and his favor. It must be enough. If it is not, we will find ourselves searching for supplemental hope that, in actuality, is a myth. Still, it sure seems like it is in adversity that our focus can sometimes shift away from God. I guess if we wait long enough and we struggle hard enough, desperation may creep in. When desperation is introduced, we will be tempted to look anywhere and everywhere for answers, for peace, for hope, for joy.

When we look at things apart from God, we are looking at perishable things. Jeremiah writes, “The Lord is my inheritance” some versions say “The Lord is my portion”. God is an inheritance that lasts forever. The key to living as if God is our portion is honestly feeling that God alone is enough. That he is our portion and inheritance. That is our hope. When we live with that paradigm, we look at life through the lens of God’s imperishable favor.

There is no need then to look elsewhere, no need to become restless in our faith, no need to be impatient. No matter what the adversity may be, when God is our portion, we know that it would be so much worse without him. We trust him to move at the right moment and in the perfect way. We don’t become discouraged when earthly things are lost. My daughter knew that she was the recipient of my paternal favor. Whatever I have is hers, so why worry, right? So to, should we as Christians rest in the paternal favor of God. He is our life in death, our light in darkness, our rest in turmoil, and our abundance in want. And that is enough.