Two days ago, my husband and I decided to do some remodeling. We mounted our TV on the wall so our 9 month old son could have more space to crawl around. We got rid of our entertainment center and our coffee table and my husband built shelves along our mantle for storage. We already have a book shelf in our living room and since we were removing 'clutter' to create more space for our son, I decided to see if I could get rid of some the 'junk' on our shelf (of course, only to make room for more 'junk'). As I was cleaning, I saw this book on our shelf someone gave me about a year and a half ago. I read the first two chapters in the book, found it intriguing, but put it down and never picked it back up. I have my reasons on why I haven't picked it back up and, but they aren't important. Anyway, I thought for a moment as I stared at the book shelf about throwing this book away. I have my reasons for wanting to throw it away as well, but they aren't important either.
As I stared at the book for about 20 seconds, I convinced myself that the book was part of God's Word (it was a book on Psalm 23) and that it might come in handy one day even though at the moment I really wanted to get rid of it. So, I left the book alone and continued cleaning.
That was two days ago.
Yesterday, even though it was a very busy day, I decided to go for a run on the treadmill while Caleb was napping. I was eager to work out again since I had taken some time off due to the holiday season and to listen to worship music on my iPod since I had taken a vacation from Jesus over the holiday break (I know this is a pathetic excuse, but we got so busy doing dinners and lunches and functions, that I literally only read once or twice the entire week my husband was home from work).
Anyway, I hop on the treadmill and I start jogging while getting my fill of worship music for the day. If you know me then you know I do enjoy jogging (on most days) because it gives me the opportunity to chat with Jesus, plus I feel great when I'm done. My time 'chatting' with Jesus usually just consists of me rambling on and on about my life. But I have to admit that I have my most revealing 'God moments' while on the treadmill. For some reason, I'm totally open and vulnerable (so weird, I know).
Anyway, I felt God show me it was time to get 'spiritually healthy.' I recently made a vow (partly due to the new year) to get physically healthy. I haven't had the best eating habits and I am concerned that my son will mimic my poor relationship with food. So I made a vow to get healthy, but God showed me that to be 'physically healthy' I need to be 'spiritually healthy' and that once I'm 'spiritually healthy' everything else will fall into place.
I took this revelation I had on the treadmill seriously and made a vow that I would not only aim to become physically healthy, but more importantly, to become spiritually healthy as well.
Keep in mind, I am still on the treadmill at this point and I am still 'chatting' with Jesus. I'm reviewing my goals for my physical and spiritual health, when God reminds me of something.
A long long LONG time ago someone gave me this CD. On it was a testimony about a woman who was kidnapped by a criminal (I can't remember exactly what type of criminal he was). This criminal randomly chose this woman to kidnap (there was no reason other than she was in the wrong place at the wrong time). However, while in the car with this man, the woman started telling her kidnapper about Jesus and His saving grace. I don't remember all the details specifically, but I do remember a few things. One, the man/criminal ended up getting saved and turned his life over to Jesus. Second, the woman gives all the credit to God. She said that at that point in her life, she was so filled with the Holy Spirit that if this event had happened at any other time, she may have not survived simply because her human nature would have taken over and she would crumbled in fear. As she describe how filled she was, she used the phrase, "my cup runneth over," which got me thinking.
I had heard this phrase before in a song, but I couldn't remember the title. As I pondered the phrase over and over, I decided it would be best to do some research. I felt that there was a reason God was reminding me of this. So I finished jogging, did some stretching, and started my research.
I Google'd the phrase 'my cup runneth over' and found some weird 70's love song (LOL). That certainly wasn't what I was looking for. I searched YouTube a bit, but failed in my attempt to locate the song I was looking for. So, I decided to Google the phrase plus'in scripture.' The first few hits were in Hebrews, but I wasn't feeling like that was it. I kept scrolling. Then, I saw something in Psalm, so I clicked the link. In Psalm 23:5 it says, "You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." As I glanced over the verse and it's surrounding verses, I noticed the the very first verse in Psalm 23 which is, "The Lord is my shepherd..." Immediately it hit me. THAT BOOK! That book that I had completely forgotten about for a year and half, but then I saw it the day before, that I almost threw out, but randomly decided to keep it, "just in case" I needed to reference it for something! I couldn't believe it. I had to chuckle to myself because I knew it was all God. I knew it was God who, out of all the books and mess on the shelf, made that book stand out to me. It reminded me of how God is in the littlest things in life...like when you're cleaning and you randomly recognize something you haven't recognized in a long time. There's a purpose in that. The littlest, random things.
Moving on to more important things: as I continued my research on Psalm 23:5, I found that the phrase, 'my cup overflows,' refers to a shepherd's cup which actually holds about 30-40 gallons of water. It is an 'abundant drink.' A drink that supplies all needs and then some. It also refers to the idea that the Holy Spirit fills our cup to sustain us and then some.
After concluding my research, I decided I want my cup to overflow. I want my cup overflowing with the Holy Spirit. I want it to overflow so much that it becomes contagious, that it spreads like wildfire. I want my cup to so overflowing that my every day is spent focusing on God and none other than God. I want my cup so overflowing that my ordinary days become extra ordinary. Speaking of...
After God revealed all this to me, I read a devotional about Stephen who was an ordinary man that did extra ordinary things. And again I say, God is in the little things.
#lovin'Jesus
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