Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Numbers 17-18

God had chosen the Levites for a special purpose. They were a gift to the Israelites to guard them from the Lord’s holy wrath. The Lord did not give them any allocation of land in Israel. Rather, they were to receive tithes and offerings from the Israelite people. The Lord said, “You shall have no inheritance in [the] land …. I am your portion and inheritance among the people of Israel.” (Numbers 18:20)

This got me thinking again about the whole “Is my belly is my god?” idea that I wrote about a few days ago. Again I asked myself,

• Is Jesus enough for me?
• Can my belly be full with just Him?
• Can I honestly, truly, genuinely say from my heart the words of Psalm 73:26, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”?

Yesterday my husband had his fourth “throat stretching” procedure. He was diagnosed about twenty years ago with a condition called Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE). EoE causes his throat to be narrow and ridged, making it difficult for him to swallow.

One suggestion the doctor made yesterday after the procedure was that my husband should try to completely eliminate all forms of dairy from his diet because dairy is a common trigger for EoE. Do you hear that? No dairy. Not a drop. Not a spoonful. No milk on your cereal. No yogurt for your breakfast. No ice cream for dessert. No butter slathered on your bread or popcorn. No glass of cold milk for your Oreos. No dairy.

And the complete truth is that over ten years ago I heard about a plan called the Six Food Elimination Diet (SFED) which has been proven to help most people who have EoE. I even talked to a local friend who had done it successfully. SFED has you completely eliminate not only dairy, but also wheat, eggs, nuts, soy, and fish, and then you gradually reintroduce these foods one at a time to figure out what your triggers are. But, here’s the deal: people (including my husband and I) are rarely willing or able to do it. It’s simply too hard. We prize not only our dairy, but also our bread and Oreos and omelettes.

So, friends, here we are again. Where is our hope? In these earthly things, things that trickle down our throats and fill our bellies, or in the Lord who is our eternal portion and treasure, our everlasting inheritance and hope.

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust— there may yet be hope; let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults.

For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.

– Lamentations 3:21-33 ESV

Heavenly Father, You are my eternal hope, my rock, my refuge, my hiding place. Because You are with me, I do not lose hope. Though my flesh and my heart may fail, You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Please bless my husband with Your strength, comfort, wisdom, and peace. Heal his physical body and have compassion on him according to the abundance of Your steadfast love. Let him not faint or lose heart. Great indeed is Your faithfulness. We love you. In the good name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Friend, Amen.