Drinking from the saucer

It is funny things that come to mind.  I was recently putting some dishes away in our china cabinet and my eyes fell upon a teacup and saucer tucked away at the back of the top shelf.  As I looked at the drinking vessel it made me think of my maternal grandfather.

When I was a kid we would spend my summer holidays visiting my family in India.  And the teacup sparked a memory of my grandfather drinking hot tea out of a fancy tea cup but rather than sipping out of the cup, he would pour the tea into the saucer and drink from the there.

I had watched him do this for years and then one time I asked him why he didn’t drink from the cup. He explained to me that once his teacup had overflowed and spilled into the saucer,  he didn’t want to waste the tea so drank it from the saucer and discovered that in the saucer it was the perfect temperature.

This is what stuck with me: he drank from the saucer because his cup overflowed.

And as I think about it today, isn’t that a perfect analogy for God’s goodness to us.

In Psalm 23:5 David writes, “You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows”… David is so aware of the blessings of God in his turbulent life - he describes it as his cup overflowing with God’s goodness and blessings in his life.

If we stop and think about it - we are each so very blessed. With a heart full of gratitude, we too could drink from the saucer!

Perfect peace

Have you ever noticed that what you spend time thinking about has the power to effect your emotions, your actions and ultimately your character?  Your thoughts have the power to make you anxious, fearful, happy or content?

I could be having a simply lovely day and then my mind turns to something that was said, or what someone did and my thoughts start to swirl and the next thing you know I am miserable.

I have said it before and I will say it again, our mind is a powerful thing!

Isaiah  26:3 says “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you”.

This verse tells us that we can have perfect peace if our minds are focused on God… but more than that, we need to trust God.

And if I am being very honest, when I begin to stew and become anxious about whatever it is, it’s because I have taken God out of the equation.

Can you imagine perfect peace? Doesn’t that sound good?

Perfect peace is available to those who consistently trust in God — trusting in who God is and what God has done for us.

There are a number of simple ways we can fix our thoughts on God, for example, through the reading of God’s Word; through prayer; and through worship. In what ways do you fix your thoughts on God?

As your mind is steadfast on God, know that God is there for. Be patient. Trust God and experience God’s perfect peace.

It's in there!

Recently we made a quick trip up to the cottage and because of wacky scheduling we didn’t end up arriving until well after dark. It is never my preference to drive up those hilly, country roads at night. It is just so much darker up there!

The headlights on our vehicle are good but it only illuminates between 90-150m in front of the car and only 50 m of road surface (so says Google). That’s okay, but it is doesn’t light the entire path.

And isn’t that so much like God?  God doesn’t reveal the entire path. In fact God doesn’t reveal a year or decade, much less the masterplan—but what God gives us is enough light to take the next few steps. By faith, this is how we learn to follow Jesus, intimately.  It is day by day, step by step.

If you are feeling you need direction in your life one of the best things you can do is open your bible (or your bible app) and pray, “Jesus…shine your light on my path. Show me how you are leading me. What are the truths I need right now?”

Scripture says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet.”  Look to God’s word because whatever you are going through, whatever you need…it’s in there!

My prayer for you is that God will give you the scriptures, and the teaching, and the words, that you need right now to shine light on your path.  As God does that our response is to follow God, intimately.

God’s word is a lamp for your feet and a light on your path. As you walk with God, step by step, God will lead your life.