My cup overflows

I'm sure we all know the 23rd Psalm.

"The LORD is my shepherd I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

If not in church you've had to have heard it at a funeral or something. It's kinda like the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song; we all know at least one line. Well if you are in my generation you know at least one line of that song. But I think you get my point. It's very familiar. However as familiar as it is I don't think we really grasp what David is saying here.

He writes and references several customs and aspects of a job that don't exist anymore. I don't want to bore you with all of them so I'm only going to focus on one. Three little words in v.5. My cup overflows.

When you read through this do you know what that means. In the whole of verse 5 David is talking about God being a gracious host and providing everything that he needs but those three little words take it to the next level.

See in those days people welcomed guests into their homes regularly. Now a days we don't even like to answer the door when someone approaches our house for something. We pretend like we are not home or can't hear the bell or knock outside. Back then however it was a complete disgrace not to invite a guest into your house and give them certain things. Because of the enviroment in which they lived, you would provide your guest with oil to put on their head, it acted like deodorant. In addition you would give them something to drink. Two cups would be set out for you and your guest along with a jug of whatever you were drinking; most likely wine. As long as you wanted your guest to stay you would keep refilling his or her cup but when you felt it was time for them to leave you stopped filling it up. When the cup was empty the guest would know it was time for them to leave.

I like that a lot better than what we do now. We are so worried about offending our friends that we try and give them subtle hints like yawning or saying something that alludes to wanted them to leave, I think this system works a lot better.

There was one other thing you could do and that is what David is talking about here. Three little words; My cup overflows. If you welcomed a guest into your home and you wanted to let them know that they could stay as long as they desired, the first time you filled their cup you would let it overflow. That was the symbol that they are welcome to stay indefinitly.

That is God's approach to us. This is David's most personal Psalm and when you read it you can make it personal as well. God has invited you into his house, prepared a table before you and filled your cup to overflowing; letting you know you are welcome to stay forever.

A few years ago Readers Digest did a survey asking people the three sentences they wanted to hear someone say to them. The results were as follows:
1. I love you!
2. I forgive you!
3. Dinner is ready!

Now the first two anyone could have guessed, but Dinner is ready? That seems completely out of place doesn't it? Not really. I believe it ties into the first two. We all want to be loved and forgiven but we also want to be included. Some of the best times a group of people could have is around the dinner table. It's all about fellowship, we yearn for it.

Through Jesus Christ, God has invied us to come and BE at his table but more than that we are invited to stay forever. God overflows your cup telling you, you are welcome to, as David says in verse 6, dwell in the house of the LORD forever!

God desires relationship with you more than you will ever know, this side of heaven. So BE with Him. Spend some time today just being with God. Talking to Him, worshiping Him, reading His word, whatever you have to do, do it.

Dwell with God and know that your cup is overflowing.