God fills the cups of our lives – we’ve all had different
lives, haven’t we, just like cups – they have different purposes, different
styles, and they are different sizes. (You might notice that mine is broken but then I suppose we all are in a way.)
There are a lot of references to cups in the Bible. Some of them refer to cups of sorrow, or
wrath. But many of them refer to cups of blessing. I’d like
to talk about those cups.
There’s a song that Ron and I love – it speaks of a cup
that is overflowing with God’s blessing.
One of the lines is “I'm
drinking from my saucer ‘cause my cup has overflowed.”
What is in your cup, if you're a follower of God? In the fourth chapter of John, we find this reference to something
overflowing – the water of life. Jesus
promised living water, and He said that this living water would flow - welling
up to eternal life. He said that if we ask
Him, and if we drink from the water He gives us, we’ll never be thirsty again.
The things that this world holds are not satisfying. But things
don’t last, do they? In this
world, there are never enough things
to fill the cups in our lives – but there’s always enough of God. He doesn’t hold back His love, His presence, or
His promises.
John 15:9 (NIV) If you keep my commands, you will remain
in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so
that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
If we love God and keep close to Him,
we will have joy – overflowing. Our
prayers, in Jesus’ name, will yield more joy than our lives, our cups, can hold.
God will give us love overflowing. The earth is filled with God’s love.
God gave the children of Israel joy and laughter. They were on filled with it.
Psalm 126:2 (NIV) Our mouths
were filled with
laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
And
God has done great things for us. He
will give us joy as well, to the point where our cups overflow.
I
expect there are days when you wonder where that joy is – it’s no different
with any Christian. There are days when
we don’t feel happy on the surface, but we can have happiness or joy deep
within our hearts. We can have
satisfaction, knowing that God is in control of whatever is making us
unhappy. So I guess I’d have to say we
can be happy and unhappy at the same time.
He fills our hearts, He fills our cups with joy – we just need to decide
to drink of that joy.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 (NIV) - Rejoice
always, pray
continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will
for you in Christ Jesus.
