Cup of the Day!
Cup of the Day!
I am working on a series of devotionals with the theme of "Cup of the Day" The illustrations reflect a different cup each day. What does your cup look like today? Is it filled with blessings? Is it overflowing? Maybe we need to start with this cup each and every day, it is found in Psalms 23 where the Lord reminds us why our cup should be overflowing, because he has prepared a table before us in the presence of our enemies: He has anointed our head with oil. Our love, our Lord has again reminded us that surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life, and we will dwell in His house forever!
I Corinthians 10:16 "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
My little story today is based on 1 Samuel 15:22
I was driving home for lunch, just an ordinary day, and as I pulled into the driveway I noticed on the right hand side the little island filled with small, white rock shaped pebbles, and they were being overtaking by the weeds. I knew if I didn't get out of the car and pull those weeds right than, they would just continue to take over the area. I wanted to go in where it was cool and eat lunch, put the landscape was calling me. So, I started to pull the weeds, one by one and as soon as I got a handful I walked them over to the trash can and put them in. As I continued to do this in the heat of the day the Lord started speaking to my heart. This verse kept coming to my mind - 1 Samuel 15:22 " Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. I asked Him what he meant by that?
Walking out our salvation is essentially obeying what the Lord speaks to us through His word. I began to realize how many blessings I had missed out on because I hadn't obeyed what He spoke in His word. How much I had sacrificed, my mind, my body, my soul.
As I continued to pull the weeds from between the small rocks, I thought to myself, wouldn't it be nice to have a gardener to pull these weeds for me. It also reminded me that I do have a gardener of the heart and mind and as I obey His word, he will begin to pull those weeds out of my heart, mind and soul. I think this is why He says in Samuel, don't sacrifice, just obey!
The little island of small pebbles separate my driveway from my neighbors. I continued to pull the weeds, both on my side and my neighbors. Mark 12:31 - "And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." My neighbor may never notice I pulled her side of the island of weeds, but God does see our heart! And He does know what our soul garden looks like.
We may never notice what our God has done for us....but He has taken on our sin by sacrificing His life and obeying the word of His Heavenly Father!
In Remembrance of me!
Speaking of neighbors, I would like to share some of my favorite blogs, from some of my favorite authors: Click on the links below:
by Cathee Paulson and Texas Stready
by Ann Voskamp
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