{"id":1188,"date":"2010-07-18T01:45:04","date_gmt":"2010-07-18T01:45:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/07\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-all-i-really-want-in-life.html"},"modified":"2010-07-18T01:45:04","modified_gmt":"2010-07-18T01:45:04","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-all-i-really-want-in-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/07\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-all-i-really-want-in-life.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling<\/em>: All I Really Want in Life"},"content":{"rendered":"
READ Psalm 142:1-7<\/a><\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n

\nThen I pray to you, O LORD.
     I say, “You are my place of refuge.
     You are all I really want in life.”
\n<\/p>\n

Psalm 142:5<\/a><\/div>\n

\nI grew up in a family of four children. My brother, sisters, and I got
\nalong fairly well, though we had our moments of conflict. One of these
\nwas at the dinner table. If my mother had cooked some particularly
\ntasty dish, like a chocolate cake, then we might fight over who got the
\nbiggest piece. We didn’t just want a fair portion. To be fully honest,
\neach of us wanted an ample portion, all that we needed and much more.<\/p>\n

Psalm
\n142 uses the language of portions to convey ampleness of God. God is
\nnot just enough, but more than enough. The NLT translates the last line
\nof Psalm 142:5 as “You are all I really want in life.” This captures
\nthe sense of the original language, which reads more literally, “you
\nare my portion [cheleq<\/em>] in the land of the living.”<\/p>\n

This
\nlanguage is reminiscent of the Lord’s instructions to Aaron, the first
\nhigh priest, as the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land:
\n“You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have
\nany portion [cheleq<\/em>] among them. I am your portion [cheleq<\/em>]
\nand your inheritance among the people of Israel.” The priests would not
\nactually own property in the land, but would receive all they needed
\nthrough their ministry in the temple (Deut. 18:1-2).<\/p>\n

When we
\nface seemingly insurmountable difficulties, we pour out our hearts to
\nGod, asking for his help. At first, what we seek is deliverance. We
\nwant what God can provide for us. But, as we continue to open our
\nhearts to the Lord, we realize that what we want most of all is God. We
\ndon’t really need a “portion” in this life. Rather, we need God who
\nsupplies all our needs and who fulfills all of our desires. From him we
\nreceive more than enough, just as the priests in the temple had ample
\nfood because they were entitled to eat their portions of the sacrifices.<\/p>\n

God
\nhas filled this life with good things and good purposes, and we rightly
\ndelight in them and desire them. But we will be able to use and enjoy
\nGod’s good gifts when our hearts seek him most of all.<\/p>\n

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/strong>:
\nHave you ever experienced a situation in which you were desperate for
\nGod’s help, but came to realize that what you needed most of all was
\nGod himself? What helps you to desire the Lord? <\/p>\n

PRAYER<\/strong>: O Lord, I can think of many
\ntimes in my life when, in my distress, I cried out to you for help.
\nYet, as I opened my heart to you, I realized that what I really wanted
\nwasn’t your help, but you! Yes, I still wanted your help. But
\nfellowship with you, resting in you, abiding in your love . . . these
\nsatisfy me most of all.<\/p>\n

To be sure, you have created this world
\nwith many good things for me to use for your purposes and to enjoy. For
\nthese I thank you. Yet, I am free to delight in this world when I
\ndelight in you first and foremost. Focusing on you, everything else
\nfinds its rightful place. <\/p>\n

Help me, dear Lord, to live this day
\nin fellowship with you. Help me to be attentive to your presence. Make
\nyourself known to me, so that I might live for you more fully.<\/p>\n

I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen<\/em>.
\n<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

\"high-calling-screenshot-4.jpg\"<\/span>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?  <\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . . <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>), a wonderful website about work and God<\/em>. You can read my Daily Reflections<\/a> there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox<\/a> each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

READ Psalm 142:1-7   Then I pray to you, O LORD.     I say, “You are my place of refuge.     You are all I really want in life.” Psalm 142:5 I grew up in a family of four children. My brother, sisters, and I got along fairly well, though we had our moments of conflict. One of these…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling: All I Really Want in Life - Mark D. Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/07\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-all-i-really-want-in-life.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling: All I Really Want in Life - Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"READ Psalm 142:1-7   Then I pray to you, O LORD.     I say, “You are my place of refuge.     You are all I really want in life.” Psalm 142:5 I grew up in a family of four children. My brother, sisters, and I got along fairly well, though we had our moments of conflict. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}