Hold Out Your Cup

Credit to newgenerationchapel.org

Another one of those "when is it going to happen" days. Trusting God to move mountains is hard. Today has been a roller coaster of emotions kind of day, no more like a roller coaster of thoughts kind of day. I started off smiling and excited. Then I cried as I thought of someone (not a bad cry, more of an overwhelmed by feeling cry, and unexpected). Then I prayed and felt peace. Then I cried again when an unwelcome offer appeared. Then I wondered if I was being a brat and should just accept. Then I crawled into my bed (okay I just sat on it since the sheets were in the wash) and read a new book, devoured it for a couple of hours. Then I checked on openings, okay I did that a lot today. Then I cried because there weren't any. Then I prayed, I actually did that many times today for various reasons, and asked for exactly what I want (I'm not good at asking for I want). Then I clicked on Facebook and found nothing new since the last time I checked. The same was true for Twitter, email, and Instagram. Then I click on Pinterest and two things showed up on the screen of my phone. The first said, "Stop worrying! I've got this! -God" and the second was the picture above. I didn't even look at this picture though, because I had already smiled and figured God had used Pinterest once again to speak to me. As I started to close the app, I saw it and was drawn to it. 

I know many people know Psalm 23 and consider it a favorite. I am not alone in this, but for me it is more than just some verses I enjoy. I recite them often, when I'm feeling low and when I'm feeling good. Sometimes only certain verses come to mind and I mediate on them. This morning, I read a prayer about trusting God and Psalm 23 was mentioned. For some reason "my cup runneth over" caught my attention, but I didn't think much of it. I thought of it again later in the day, but once again briefly. Then I saw this image and I realized something, that may or may not be profound. I have to hold my cup out. I always thought of it just sitting there on that table prepared for me before my enemies. It's part of the same verse. But this image caused me to wonder, the table is prepared by God for me but the cup is mine. If it's mine, where is it? Do I have it sitting out or shut up in a cupboard? Is it safely set aside so no one can tip it over? Is it behind my back because I am withholding it? I can say that I don't think I'm holding in my two hands, out to the One who longs to fill it to overflowing. 

I jumped onto my online Bible, typed in Psalm 23 and clicked on the tab that takes me to the Interlinear (the Hebrew), and clicked on the Strong's tab and learned "my cup" comes from unused root meaning "to hold together" and in some sort of container. I then clicked on "overflows" and it means "saturation, run over, wealthy, abundance". This made me think of another verse Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us." As Priscilla Shirer would say "beyond, beyond". 

My doubt tells me that I will have to settle again for a position I don't want because I need the job. My doubt tells me that I will never marry My Beloved. My doubt says I will have to continue to watch other mothers love their kids and just be okay with that. I already said I have a hard time asking for what I want, and I need to come out from under that and ask. And not just ask, but grab that cup from where ever it is hiding, wrap both my hands around it, and hold it out to be filled to overflowing! Am is saying just because I want it I get it? No, but I need to ask. And I need to believe that whatever He pours into that cup will be beyond blessings for me. 

Imagine how it will feel to have blessings run down my hands and onto others near me! That is the true meaning of abundance!