A cup is NOT like a glass, in that a cup is a unit of measurement. You can have a little glass, a big glass, and a huge glass; but recipes never call for a glass of sugar or a half-glass of flour. We reserve that kind of talk for a “cup.”
In the 23rd Psalm the Psalmist says that the Lord prepares a table for him and anoints his head with oil. He then goes on to say, “…my cup runneth over.”
Haddon Robinson, in his little book on the 23rd Psalm says, “Sometimes a shepherd found a very deep well from which to draw water for his flock. …to draw water the shepherd used a long rope with a leather bucket at the end… It had to be let down and drawn up hand over hand and the water poured into large stone cups beside the well. It was a long, laborious process. If the shepherd had a hundred sheep and the well was deep, he might have to draw for two hours if he allowed the sheep to drink all they wished… and it was a mark of special kindness to keep the cups filled to the brim so that they could drink with ease.” Now that’s what the Good Shepherd does for us. “My cup runneth over.”
The word “cup” is the word for a literal cup, but it also can mean “a portion.” It comes from a Hebrew root that means “to hold together.” It’s a contained portion – a cup.
Well, all of the Lord’s sheep have a portion. The cup is our portion of life, and the water is the blessings of the Lord poured into our cup. Each cup is personalized with our name on it. It’s my cup – and when I walk with the Lord, He makes sure that my cup is full. Ephesians 3:20 says, He “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.”
“My cup runneth over!”
Hey – don’t let the world fill your cup. Let the Lord fill it. Only He can really quench your thirst!