A quick hello to some new blog readers this week. I do hope you enjoy travelling with me on my journey of faith and get some encouragements from God as you do.

Now to today’s little thought”¦
I am ample of chest. Some would say to overflowing”¦ I am a GG (which stands for GOOD GRIEF!)
Thanks to two very good friends of similar cuppage, I now own the right kind of ridiculously expensive apparel to help my size and shape not look TOO ample.

Last night I went to bed thinking about cup sizes. Not in the aforementioned sense, but cup sizes in the Bible. I had assumed that the phrase in Psalm 23 ‘my cup runs over’ was one of only a few instances of the word. But, when I came to look this up this morning in readiness to write this blog, I found I was oh so wrong.
The Bible uses the word cup to mean a great deal of very opposite things.

I am grateful to CG Lindeman for his wisdom on this http://www.godsgoodnews.com/cups.html (go there for more)

“The “drinking cup” is often used in scripture to represent something important.”
I have my own favorite cups for favourite moments – I am sure you do too. (Incidentally, I currently favour some joyful Whittards beauties bought in the January sales for literally pennies☺)

In Genesis, Pharaoh had his own cup, he even had his own cup bearer, and it was that man’s duty to bring him his Horlicks, or whatever he drank. Joseph had a silver cup, and he had his servant slip it in the grain sack of Benjamin, his younger brother, when they came to Egypt to buy grain. That caused quite a stir, as we know. So, obviously, your own personal cup was an important item.

The “cup” is symbolic of many things, particularly in the Old Testament. It’s also mentioned many times in the New Testament. When Nebuchardnezzar of Babylon took the people of Judah captive, Jerusalem is spoken of as having “drunken of the dregs of the cup of trembling.” Jeremiah pictured God’s wrath as the “pouring out of a cup.” There is also the “cup of consolation” and the “cup of overflowing joy”. In the New Testament, Jesus compared His Own suffering at the cross to “a cup”. The judgment of man’s sins is “the cup” He came into the world to drink.
Something I have realised about God and cups today is this: He doesn’t do half measures. He doesn’t serve meager rations.
At New Year we went away with friends from church. One evening we played a food quiz where, whilst blindfolded, we had to guess what (disgusting) food we were being given. Throwing up or spitting out was not allowed. Points were awarded for swallowing the WHOLE portion. Sadly, my turn was uncooked black pudding in rather more generous measure than one would hope. I was very proud of my ability to push on through and swallow the revolting amount of what I had been given.
When Jesus said “If it be possible, may this cup be taken from Me,” “that cup” was the “cup of judgment” that He bore there on the cross for me. It was FULL to overflowing with all the things that you and I have done to offend, ignore and attack God. Jesus drank it and although it must have been utterly repulsive to Him, He downed the lot. He was sinless, He was perfect. He was beautiful, and yet He drank that awful cup for me. Right down to the last dregs.

I don’t know about you, but that rather blew my little mind today.

Thank you Jesus that you chose to drink that cup for me. Thank you that you didn’t run away from that task, leaving us with no hope and no way of being saved. Help me today to know that when You fill my cup, You fill it to overflowing with Your presence, blessing and deliverance.
Amen