A couple weeks ago I saw a friend post an image with the following phrase, “Are you living like an optimist, a pessimist, or a Psalmist?” The accompanying image had two glasses of water. One had water filled to the middle of the glass. The other had water overflowing and splashing down the side. I smiled thinking about what a great illustration that was for the Christian life. The traditional outlook on life gives two options, either the glass is half full or half empty. The Bible reveals a third option that is infinitely better. It is a life that is overflowing with the goodness and faithfulness of God!
Psalm 23 is a great example of the overflowing life. The Psalmist describes the supernatural peace and goodness that come from having the Lord as your shepherd. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” (ESV) The word used for comfort in the original Hebrew refers to being encouraged and consoled in grief. The idea is that God’s loving presence cancels the fear and difficulty of even the worst situation. This not only removes the negative feelings that come with trials. It makes it possible for the fear to be replaced with a deep-seated joy that comes from being in the presence of God.
The Psalmist wrote, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” My favorite image in this section is of the cup that is overflowing with the goodness of God. The word used for overflowing refers to satisfaction and abundance. Psalm 66:12 uses the same phrase, “We went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.” The Psalmist’s experience of trials was not marked by the difficulty of the situation. His attitude was determined by his knowledge of God. He knew the Lord had brought the Jews out of Egypt. He knew God had brought them into the Promised land. His knowledge of God extended from human history to his own personal experience. He had seen the Lord bless him in abundance, even in the midst of hard times. He had discovered the marvelous secret of trusting in the sovereignty of God.
The apostle Paul also knew how to live the life of the overflowing cup. In Philippians 4:11-13 he wrote, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Paul’s strength did not come from “living his best life now.” It did not come from tricking himself into thinking things were better than they were. No, his joy was found outside of himself. His joy was hidden in the work of God.
This was masterfully displayed when Jesus Christ quoted from Psalm 22 while being tortured on the cross. It is hard to envision a more dramatic image of someone going through the valley of the shadow of death than the crucifixion. Yet in the midst of this excruciating pain, the gospel accounts describe how Jesus was able to speak to those around him and even quote from memory some of the passages that brought him supernatural hope and joy. One of the most profound passages that he quoted was from Psalm 22. I would encourage you to read this psalm in it’s entirety, but for now I want to focus on one section that mentions the idea of the abundance and overflowing goodness of God.
Psalm 22:26 says, “The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD!” The idea of being satisfied is very similar to the abundance described in Psalm 23. These two psalms actually go together very well because they share this profound theme of having joy in the midst of trials. David experienced great pain in life, but Jesus even more so. He was able to endure the agonizing pain of crucifixion with joy because he was relying on the supernatural power of God. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” The Greek word used for joy is “charas.” It refers to the “experience of gladness.” It is supernatural joy that can only be experienced by those who have committed their lives to God.
The power of believing in God is immeasurable. The one who believes in the triune God is not limited to the physical world. He does not have to live a life that is bound by the laws of nature because he believes in the supernatural. He is living for eternity. This is why the believer should not settle for the analogy of the half glass of water. He knows that is not the whole story. He knows that a Christian worldview would not use such a limited and finite illustration. God does not fill a glass half full and tell people to use will-power to “look for good in a bad situation.” God is infinitely good and wise and full of joy! He tells humanity to “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” “Eat and be satisfied!” “My cup overflows, surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!”
I think it is helpful for Christians to reflect on the analogy of the glass of water. There are many believers who think their lives are like a glass that is half full. They don’t have what others have. Or they think they have too many problems compared to others. The Christian doesn’t have to live like that. They can upgrade the analogy to a cup that is overflowing. This can not be done by your own power. This can only be done by repenting of living with a worldly mindset. The Christian needs to throw the old glass away. He must reject a selfish worldview for the selfless one that comes by serving God. Then God is able to remove a heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh. Then a person can confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised him from the dead and be saved! Believing in Christ not only saves a person from their sin. It also saves them from a life that is limited to the confines of the materialistic world. My prayer is that you will upgrade the analogy of the glass to that of the overflowing cup. Jesus said, “I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly!” (John 10:10)
