The Levites were not given any allotment of land , as all the other tribes of Israel were given a heritage of land by which they could support themselves. For the Levites the Lord was their “portion.” God Himself was their life support system by which they would sustain themselves. “The Lord is my portion” came to be a statement of faith for every believer whether he had land or not, for it was the Lord who sustained him through the land anyway.
When in the course of our pilgrimage we find ourselves on a sickbed or a deathbed, in prison or in distress, or all alone and no one cares, then the Lord is my refuge and my portion. I trust God alone to keep me safe and keep me alive.
if God uses land, livelihood, and other people to keep me safe and alive He is still my refuge and portion. If I feel deserted and stressed out with no tangible support then I believe the same truth: the Lord is my refuge and portion in the land of the living.
In the presence of enemies I cry to the Lord; He will deal bountifully with me. That’s a promise.