He gracefully and wondrously sauntered to the center of the open field with his robe flowing on the wind. The train of it spread out gloriously covering the field around Him. So amazing was the scene that the enemy crouched backward in a death-stance position as they were caught totally off guard by the scene before them. Extremely focused, the King turned and whirled creating such a turbulent movement that the wind thereof began to ripple through the surrounding trees. The wind sent dead branches a flight as arrows spraying in all directions away from the clearing that the King was preparing. With every turn there appeared marvelous provision. All the elements of a royal banquet were miraculously being assembled on a massive golden banquet table. Though the table was seen shadowed by a cross, it was being prepared by the King.
Soon there was the sound of musical voices resounding from the opposing forest toward the far edge of the field. A song was being sung by a procession of unremarkable invalids who began hobbling onto the battlefield. Though maimed, lame, halt, deaf and blind, they sang with amazing resilience and power ...
“Our Lord, The LORD GOD, is our Shepherd, with His pasturing we have no lack, no unfulfilled need, no gnawing hunger … He is our Desire, our Thirst or Hunger and we are satisfied.”
“He causes us to stretch out our lives safely into new fresh green pastures, He carefully guides us into cool, clear, clean and restful refreshment.”
“He always revives us with restored soulful strength. He leads us in the clearly marked way of His Righteousness, for the sake of His Name, His reputation, and His fame.”
“Yes, though we come and go through the deep vale of death's shadow, we will not have our fearful wonder held captive by any malignant, threatening evil. It is only a shadow.”
“You are with us, Your ultimate authority and Your undeniable support, they are an ever constant protective comfort for us.”
“You have prepared this marvelous royal banquet table for us; right in plain view, right under the noses of our most threatening enemies … MY CUP RUNNETH OVER!”
The song stopped here for a moment, the enemy was listlessly still and all but powerless because of these four words - “My cup runneth over!” This language was strange and ancient but it held an allegorical truth that had power to defeat the enemy. What did the enemy hear? – “My Cup and My Owl (Hebrew word – kowc or koce) are ever satisfied to overflowing”. Our life is described in this passage as A cup, a stationary vessel of self-containment; and an Owl, a vessel of flight-risk unclean self-desire. …..................“Application Please!!!”
We all have lives that are seen and unseen. We all have resounding desires that jockey for control for the cup and the owl. On the outside of “The Cup”, we want to appear successful; and to do this control is very important. On the inside of “The Owl”, we constantly hunt for the unclean desires of darkness and the forbidden pleasures that are cloaked by the night; to do this we take unholy risks. Both The Cup and The Owl need to be fed, but the fancies and the fantasies of this present world only bring us momentary pleasures that end in eternal dissatisfaction and ruin. We need to sing out by experience that “My Cup and Owl runneth over!”
The royal banquet prepared by Jesus was not only for our personal salvation from Hell and the enemy, but was to provide a moment by moment satiating, saturating and overflowing relationship through His Word and Spirit. This relationship abundantly adorns the seen, and overwhelming satisfies the wandering desires. We desperately need to come and dine! Then we will finish the song -
-“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23 ----
My wants and My desires are satisfied to overflowing because of You, Jesus.
HLFA,
Jeff