Deuteronomy 32:9-12 "For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. (10) He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. (11) As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: (12) So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him."
"The Lord's portion is his people." Can we just stop to think
about that for a moment? The Lord's portion.... The Lord's allotment....
That which is distributed unto the Lord is His people. In context of the
passage, just what exactly did God receive when He said Jacob is the lot
(portion) of His inheritance? You remember the story of Jacob. He was a
deceiver, a trickster. He was someone who looked out for himself and devised
ways to get that which he wanted for himself. He was a selfish man to say the
least. Yet, the Lord went after him and brought him unto Himself.
Notice the wording in our text. He (God) found him (Jacob) in a desert land. He
found him in a waste, howling wilderness. Jacob was in a dry place and no
way out of it. In fact, we do not find that Jacob was trying to find a way out
of his lifestyle when reading his account. He seemed content in trying to plod
along and get by on his own ways and means. That is until the Lord found him
and began to stir his soul in order to bring him out of his own
situation. God uses the example of the eagle stirring up her nest in
order to get her babies to fly. When the eggs are laid and even while the
baby eagles are still young, the mother lines the nest with soft grass and
feathers and things which make for its comfort. When it is time for the babies
to learn to fly, the mother begins to flutter her wings and stir up the soft
lining of the nest. When she does that, the sticks begin to protrude and makes
it uncomfortable for the babies to stay in the nest. Therefore, they have to
learn to fly in order to leave that place of discomfort.
This is what God did for Jacob. He began to stir the soul of Jacob and bring
him to a place of discomfort. He instructed Jacob to go back and face his
brother, Esau. In Jacob's mind, this was a very dangerous thing and
something that made him very uncomfortable. Yet, the Lord persisted and took
Jacob back to that place. We know the end of the story. God had gone
before Jacob and made things perfect when he came face to face with Esau. Just
as the mother eagle catches the baby eagles when they first leave the nest, God
had His wings over and under Jacob in bringing him to a place of trust and
confidence in the Lord rather than himself.
What exactly did God receive when He received me? God received a replica
of Jacob. I have tried my own ways and they do not work. But the
Lord is patient and He catches me when I begin to fall. He raises me back up
and lets me attempt again and again. For me, it seems trusting God is a
process that takes time and effort to release self confidence and attain
God-confidence. I'm so thankful that Lord's portion is His people. I'm so
thankful He is patient and kind. I'm so thankful that He catches me when I fall
and gives other opportunities to learn that great blessing of having trust in
Him. I'm so thankful God leads me daily and loves me constantly. Aren't
you?