Ps. 16:5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup, Thou holdest my lot…
The Lord is my cup… Thou holdest my lot….
When I was assigned to serve as the Navigator Missionary to the Military in the San Francisco Bay area, my wife and I expected to be there 3-4 years and then be asked to move. That was the custom of our organization. It roughly mirrored that of the military service, every 2-3 years, you receive a new assignment for your growth, broadening and maturation. Also, normally your responsibilities increased with each move as organizationally, you increased in rank and seniority. It took us six years to receive our next ‘calling’.
When we arrived in Monterey, again, we fully expected to be there for a maximum of 4 years, 5 maybe and then we would be asked to move. The ‘call’ to move to another base and to another location never came. It still hasn’t. For the last 22 years we have been in the same location. It used to bug me… a lot. I felt left out and neglected. I felt passed over by the leadership. I felt forgotten. I went to the Lord about it numerous times.
The first time I really sought God a about this issue, He spoke very clearly to me. In my devotional time I was reading the Psalms and God was speaking to Israel about their grumbling. He said, “Why do you despise the pleasant land that I have placed you in?” I had asked God for clarity and He rebuked me. I repented and vowed to never whine or complain about my location again.
When I felt underutilized by the organization, I again sought counsel from the Elders and from the Lord. My Heavenly Father again spoke to me clearly and told me my faith was too small. He told me to ask God for GREATER things and for opportunities to lead outside the organization. Within a month of praying for ‘greater opportunities’ and for the right place to exercise the gifts that the Father has entrusted to me, God led me to be part of the leadership team for California’s largest, contemporary Christian music festival. It’s been a perfect fit for me in the areas of gifting, capacity, calling, passion and fulfillment. I would NOT have experienced any of the joy or the fruitfulness if God has heeded my immature complaining, whining and grumbling about being in the same place for so long.
David said rightly, “the Lord is my chosen portion and my cup… Thou holdest my lot…” God is our sovereign mover. He searches out our paths and lying down… He made us, designed us and places exactly where He wants us to be for our good and for His glory.
Take a moment and thank our loving, heavenly Father for placing you exactly where you are.
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Bob, this is an excellent verse with a great story! This verse has spoken volumes to me not just about location, but salary. Am I earning what I think I’m worth? That’ll get under your skin very quickly, and really make you unsatisfied.
“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. Surely I have a a delightful inheritance.”
God places us where he wants us.