Daily Worship

Overflowing

Fiona Reynolds March 23, 2023 2 0
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Listen to this daily worship

Psalm 23: 5 (NRSVA)

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.

“You cannot pour from an empty cup”. This phrase has become popular as our Western culture seeks to re-emphasise the importance of self-care in a busy, ever-demanding world. It is a powerful metaphor that can really make you think, especially when you hear it for the first time. For the Psalmist, however, it is not just about topping ourselves up so we can be drained once more. That is not the way to fullness of life.  Instead, we are filled to overflowing by a most prodigious God; filled so much that God’s blessings cannot help but spill over from us into the world around. In this way, it is not of our own that we give, but from the abundance of God.

 

PRAYER:

 

When I am struggling to give what I do not have,

help me to pause,

reflect,

and notice what you are pouring into me,

so I might know joy in letting that precious gift fill me up

to overflowing,

so I might know my blessings

and be a blessing to others, AMEN.

Lent Disciplines

LENT FOCUS 4: PASTURE

This week our focus is ‘pasture’. See if you can find time each day this week to read Psalm 23 and reflect on the imagery it contains. Consider what verses you will carry with you for the rest of the day. You could even try memorising some or all of the verses.