A Cup Overflowing with Blessings
As Psalm 23 comes to a close, the psalmist paints a scene that is both dynamic and ironic: a lavish banquet is prepared right in front of his enemies.
Imagine God laying out a feast before you in the presence of adversity and fear. God gives abundantly in the middle of hardship. “You anoint my head with oil,” the psalmist adds, “my cup overflows.”
Anointing with oil demonstrates divine favor and strength. It's like a warrior receiving a blessing before battle. Every obstacle and doubt are met with God's presence. The psalmist’s cup isn’t just full, it’s running over! In God, we have blessings that joyfully spill over into the lives of others.
The psalmist concludes with wholehearted trust:
"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Psalm 23:6
God's goodness and love are our constant companions, following us everywhere we go. God’s goodness and love surround us and lead to the perfect presence of our Shepherd, forever. There, we will live "in the house of the Lord." Now and forever, we are always welcome in His presence.
A Gift Worth Receiving
After Jesus healed a man who had been paralyzed for almost four decades, the religious Jews were angry with Him. This may seem strange, because healing is a good thing, but Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath—the day of rest. In the Old Testament, God gave believers a long list of rules to follow in order to stay right with Him, and these rules included honoring the Sabbath.
But in the New Testament, Jesus was sent to change our relationship with the Father. By sacrificing Himself on the cross, He gave us access to a relationship with God—so that long list of rules was no longer needed. Throughout Jesus' life, He shows people the nature of this new relationship. But because it didn’t line up with what the religious establishment believed, they were angry with Him.
In John 5, Jesus justifies these changes through revealing His true authority. By calling God His Father, He shared that He was equal to God. This angered the religious Jews, but it gives us a ...