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One of the songs from my early adult years expressed so well the longing of my own heart that at that time knew little fulfillment. The words and the music were composed by Richard Blanchard. Like the woman at the well I was seeking for things that could not satisfy; and then I heard my Savior speaking: "Draw from My well that never shall run dry." Fill my cup, Lord, I lift it up, Lord! Come and quench this thirsting of my soul ... Cups are common objects that come in a myriad of colors, shapes, and sizes, but they share a common purpose. They are intended to be filled. From fancy and delicate teacups to a hardy mug, cups can be used to decorate, express personal sentiments, create a conversation-starter, or even just collect dust or crowd our cupboards, but we hand a spill-resistant cup to our thirsty toddler or prepare a warm mug of hot chocolate on a rainy afternoon. Why? Cups were designed to be filled .
Our lives are much like cups. They were created to be filled. The woman who met Jesus at a well in Samaria brought a water jug to be filled, but the dryness and the thirst that she really needed to quench could not be satisfied with physical water. Jesus understood her emotional and spiritual emptiness and offered her spiritual water – a water that flowed from Him and could soothe the raw and parched spirit that had been trampled on, misused, and misdirected. Sometimes we hesitate to offer the cups of our lives up to God. We may feel our cups are too stained with sin or failure, or the harsh realities of life have scorched the inside. Perhaps our cups have been cracked by the tensions of our own pursuits or expectations. Perhaps we have filled them already with worry or fear, doubts, unforgiveness, or bitterness. Maybe your own cup seems more like the styrofoam variety and it’s been punched full of holes with the abuse or neglect of others. The beauty of the water Jesus offers is that, even as it fills, it brings forgiveness, love, healing, and renewal. It empties out the "old," and fills with the "new," and keeps on filling. Richard Blanchard’s song ends with a prayer to God. Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.
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