What Would Finally Be Enough?

What would have to happen before you could finally say, I have enough? Perhaps you imagine better health, greater financial security, a restored relationship, children who are doing well, retirement, respect, or an important goal finally accomplished.

None of these desires is necessarily wrong, but Psalm 119 invites us to look beneath them. The psalmist begins Psalm 119:57 with a remarkable statement: “The Lord is my portion.”

In the Old Testament, a portion could refer to someone’s share of an inheritance, land, food, or the spoils of victory. By calling God his portion, the psalmist declares that his deepest security and treasure are found in God himself. He still has earthly desires, but none has a greater claim on his heart than the Lord.

If our hearts insist, I cannot be satisfied unless I have this, we have discovered something important about what we are truly depending upon.

Satisfaction Makes Honesty Possible

The psalmist continues, “When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies.” Because his identity and security rest in God, he can examine his life honestly, recognize where he has wandered, and turn toward obedience.

That is why repentance can be described so simply: repentance always has feet. Regret wishes something had not happened, and remorse grieves it, but repentance changes direction.

Perhaps you already know what you need to make right—a sin to confess, forgiveness to extend, restitution to make, or a habit to abandon. The question may no longer be what you should do, but how long you will delay doing it.

Learning to Sing at Midnight

Although the psalmist is surrounded and ensnared by wicked people, he says, “At midnight I rise to praise you.” His circumstances are not satisfying, but God remains his satisfaction.

This allows Christians to speak honestly about suffering without pretending that pain is pleasant or disappointment does not matter. God’s goodness is not determined by whether today’s circumstances feel good.

The time to learn how to worship God at midnight is before midnight arrives. Ordinary habits of reading God’s Word, praying, singing, gathering with his people, and remembering what is true prepare us for seasons when those truths become harder to see.

Companions for the Journey

The psalmist also says, “I am a companion of all who fear you.” He is not walking alone. Christian friends do more than keep us company; they pray, encourage, correct, ask difficult questions, and remain with us through suffering.

Who provides that kind of friendship for you? Just as importantly, whose walk with Christ is stronger because you are their friend?

Surrounded by Steadfast Love

The stanza concludes, “The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love.” This is an extraordinary declaration from someone still facing suffering and opposition. The psalmist has learned to see beyond his immediate circumstances to the faithful love of God.

Health, finances, relationships, and seasons of life will change, but the Christian’s relationship with God rests somewhere more secure. Christ suffered to bring us to God, and the greatest gift of salvation is God himself.

Psalm 119 therefore leaves us with a searching question: What would you have to possess or change before you could say you have enough?

Could you learn to answer with the psalmist, “The Lord is my portion”?

Adapted from Pastor Darrin Wright's sermon “The Path of Satisfaction,” from FBC Wheeling's Walking in the Word series on Psalm 119.