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.
Following the Way of Jesus
Discipleship is at the center of the Christian life. To be a disciple means to be a learner. It means following after Jesus, and patterning our life after His.
Jesus tells us that the starting point of following Him is to deny ourselves. Denying ourselves means we choose to put Jesus’ desires above our own. This means that we must come to recognize that we do not have all the answers, or know the right way to go through life.
Discipleship is not something we do once or twice. It is a lifestyle that must be lived out each and every day. We will spend our entire lives becoming more like Jesus.
The way of life Jesus modeled was to suffer on the cross. When we deny ourselves, we choose to humbly follow Jesus. And as we become more like Jesus, we will also need to take up our cross. We will also suffer for doing good, and for denying things that seem enticing in the moment, but ultimately keep us from God. But when we bear our suffering, we represent Christ to those...