The LORD Is My Inheritance

When God is your inheritance, no circumstance can hinder His purpose for your life

The book of Psalms is often where people turn when they are overwhelmed by life's challenges and human counsel seems to fall short. The Psalms have a unique way of speaking to the soul, helping us anchor our hearts in the Almighty God during unfamiliar and difficult seasons.

David understood this firsthand.

He was the youngest son in Jesse's family, a shepherd boy tending his father's sheep in the wilderness. While Israel desired a king like the surrounding nations, they chose Saul because of his outward appearance. Later, God rejected Saul and chose David—the least expected in Jesse's household—to become the next king of Israel.

When God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint the next king, Samuel almost repeated Israel's mistake by looking at David's older brothers. But the LORD corrected him, reminding Samuel that while man looks at the outward appearance, the LORD looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

Although David was anointed as king, he did not immediately ascend to the throne. God sovereignly orchestrated every step of David's journey, moving him from the wilderness to the palace, just as He elevated Joseph from prison to become the ruler of Egypt. This reveals a consistent pattern throughout the Bible: when God calls someone for His purpose, He also orchestrates every step of their journey until His vision and purpose are fulfilled in His perfect time.

One of those God-ordained moments came when Jesse sent David to deliver food to his brothers who were serving in Saul's army. There David encountered Goliath, the Philistine giant who defied the armies of Israel. Instead of encouragement, David received ridicule from his own older brother (1 Samuel 17:28). Even King Saul questioned whether David was capable of facing the giant and offered him his royal armor (1 Samuel 17:33). David declined the armor.

Instead, he testified:

"The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." — 1 Samuel 17:37

Standing before Goliath, David proclaimed:

"The LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's, and He will give you into our hands." — 1 Samuel 17:47

David did not place his confidence in Saul's armor, military strength, or human ability. His confidence rested entirely in the LORD.

Even after defeating Goliath, David's trials were far from over. King Saul sought to kill him. He was forced to flee for his life. He experienced rejection, betrayal, countless battles, and even rebellion from his own son. At one point, people were ready to stone him. Yet none of these hardships prevented God from fulfilling His purpose for David's life.

Throughout every season, David anchored his faith in God alone. While God's Word strengthens our hearts, David also demonstrated the importance of encouraging his own soul to trust in the LORD and wait upon Him. His life reminds us that we do not overcome the giants before us by wearing the armor of this world, but by trusting in the name of the LORD.

As Solomon later wrote:

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe." — Proverbs 18:10

David understood this profound truth:

"O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot." — Psalm 16:5

His inheritance was not the throne, the kingdom, or the wealth of Israel. His inheritance was the LORD Himself.

Because God was his inheritance, David confidently declared:

"I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved." — Psalm 16:8

Unlike the other tribes of Israel, the Levites did not receive a territorial inheritance in the Promised Land because the LORD Himself was their inheritance (Deuteronomy 10:9).

David embraced the same reality. His greatest possession was not what God gave him—it was God Himself.

Therefore he could confidently say:

"You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." — Psalm 16:11

When God is our inheritance, He becomes our satisfaction, our security, and our identity. No challenge can overturn His purpose for our lives, and He will faithfully lead us in the path of life.

SOW THIS WORD INTO YOUR SOUL

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