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| One of my coffee cups |
The
LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. . . my cup runneth over. Psalm 23: 1, 5a
The 23rd Psalm is one of my favorite passages of
Scripture for comfort and encouragement. I
read it in its entirety almost every day. My cup runneth over makes me think of blessings
running over in abundance.
Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in
the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6
read it in its entirety almost every day. My cup runneth over makes me think of blessings
running over in abundance.
I love the affirmation expressed by these words of confident
hope.
This week, the word cup
captured my attention and spurred me on a search. I'll share some of my questions with you.
What
exactly is our cup?
I learned in the Psalms that the cup can be one of wrath and suffering, and then again one of salvation. (See Psalm 116:13) And it comes from the hand of the Lord.
In the
hand of the Lord there is a cup . . . Psalm 75:8
Jeremiah 16:7 talks about a cup of consolation.
Is our
cup then, our portion that we need from the Lord for a particular time?
As Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, he said . . .
O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup
pass from me: nevertheless not as I
will, but as thou wilt. Matthew 26:39.
Jesus was exceedingly
sorrowful, and praying on His face.
So that cup was a cup of
suffering. He knew what he had to do, and He accepted it as the will of God.
When the band of officers came to get Jesus in the garden of
Gethsemane, Simon Peter drew his sword and slashed off the high priest’s
servant’s ear. (See John 18:10-11).
Consider the words of our Lord to Peter.
Put up
thy sword into the sheath: the cup which
my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
The cup then I perceive comes from the hands of God the
Father, and it is His will.
Jesus said Shall I not
drink it?
Then who am I to question the portion that is given to me?
Whatever comes to us from His hand is our portion. Be it salvation, abundant blessings,
consolations, or suffering, it is His will for us at that moment in time.
And there is yet another cup I read of in the Scriptures—the cup of the new covenant.
We have Jesus’ words at the Last Supper.
In the
same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This is the new covenant in my
blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For wherever you eat this bread and drink this
cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11: 26-27
He offers us the new covenant in His blood.
Will we accept the cup from His hand?
Jesus trusted God the Father and took the cup. Will we not do the same? Accept our portion that comes from the hand
of God? Knowing that He satisfies the
deepest needs of our soul.
The
Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup. . . Psalm 16:5a
Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in
the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6
Beautiful picture by Eileen DeCamp
Rose, this is beautiful. Thank you for sharing this devotion, like a cup of morning warmth for me today. May we accept our cup today, the contents as flavorful and unique as each one reading, and may we walk in obedience, following the example of Jesus.
ReplyDeleteThank you Shari. I'm glad you were blessed. We can trust the One who gives us our cups. Blessings to you running over.
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Thank you to your group for sharing. I hope Write Moments with God will encourage and bless you all. Thank you for taking the time to write and share.
DeleteRose, Christ is my ROCK and my JOY! I am so thankful to finally KNOW without any second of doubt that Christ holds me and chose me to be His child. Living waters are always flowing from my cup---even in sufferings and trials! What a profound blessing to enjoy His presence everywhere I go and to know I have access to His wisdom and guiding light at any moment! I stand undeserving of His saving grace. It's such a blessing to share with you! I miss you, dear friend.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful words of life! Thank you so much for writing this comment. What a beautiful testimony! I appreciate so much your kind words and your friendship.
ReplyDeleteRose, I really appreciated this thought-provoking post, pointing out the different ways 'cup' is used in Scripture. What a good question to ask ourselves: will we accept the cup from His hand?
ReplyDeleteBlessings on you as you teach, write, share, live your life in Christ!
Elizabeth
I am delighted to read your comment Elizabeth. I appreciate your kind words and encouragement always. May the Lord be with you as well as you are doing the same things for His glory.
ReplyDelete