THIS CUP.
"LORD, you have
assigned me my portion and my cup" Psalm 16:5a NIV.I know that I have not always had a "taste" for what's been put in my cup. I look around at others' cups and sometimes theirs look a lot more appealing than mine. I often complain and am unwilling to accept my portion. The life that has been handed to me looks bleak and does not always make sense according to my own desires.
To a small degree I can relate to Jesus in Luke 22 when He said, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me" (ESV). Yes, clearly my cup is nothing in comparison to what Christ was facing, but I have certainly found myself crying out with that same plea.
Have you?
Are there times that you look into your cup at your portion and think, "Surely not! How can this be, Lord?" Perhaps for some there could be feelings of injustice when our circumstances seem unfair. Maybe we experience hopelessness when our lives look dark. Or we feel defeated when we have tried so hard to do the right thing, only to have our good intentions backfire.
Pain, disappointment, loss... these are all things that devastate and shock us--yet Jesus did promise us trouble in this world. After all, this earth and our bodies groan under the curse--There is no exemption from suffering and hardship, but what will our response be? Let us revisit the passage from earlier.
Luke 22:42, "'Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.'" Jesus accepted his portion and submitted Himself under the Lordship of His Father. In doing so, He experienced great suffering. He loved His Father far more than He loved the taste of His portion. Christ sought first the Kingdom and Glory of God.
We too can learn this response of humbly accepting what is placed before us. Paul said, "...for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need" (Phil. 4:11-12, emphasis added).
There is marvelous grace available for us to learn how to trust Him with our cup and portion. Only HE can provide the strength that we need in order to walk out this life full of the Spirit. Because if we depend on ourselves, we will surely fail.
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:26).
Hannah is a Sophomore in the College at Southeastern. She love music
and traveling. Hannah is a member at Green Pines Baptist Church.
Hannah enjoy being a
youth ministry worker and worship leader at her church. She comes from a big family
of all boys and her youngest brother has Down Syndrome. Working with people who
have special needs has become a great passion of hers. She has the blessing of
working with an agency that provides services for people with
developmental disabilities.
Anonymous | October 20, 2011 at 3:26 PM
Hannah thank you for sharing your heart with all of us!
Anonymous | October 21, 2011 at 1:52 PM
Great post. I found your first paragraph really interesting, about comparing your "cup" to the cups of others. It's so funny how we are always comparing and competing. I find that when I'm suffering, I will even compare my sufferings to that of others', sure that I am suffering much more than they are (and a little prideful over the number of trials I am enduring)! It's insanity. Thanks for sharing.