Glass half full?

This morning I enjoyed a short written word from the General Secretary of SASRA, the Soldiers' and Airmen's Scripture Readers Association. He referred to the way individuals can be classified as "Glass half full" or "Glass half empty" people. "Those who are optimistic in life see there is still plenty left in the glass, whereas the pessimistic see the glass will soon be empty."

I have often asked myself whether Christians should be optimists or pessimists. The General Secretary's answer is, "Neither".

Our God wants us to have a glass that is not only completely filled, but running over: "You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows" (Psalm 23:5). One of my favourite promises of Jesus is where He states, "A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6:38). He apparently said this in connection with a number of different points of teaching. Several times in John's gospel Jesus wishes for the disciples that their joy will be full (15:11; 16:24). Since a full glass is a promise from God to those who follow Jesus, we can behave as though our glass was already at least half full!

But on the bad side there is another type of completely filled cup in the Bible - the cup of wrath. Where God's judgment is on His wayward people or on the heathen nations, they are said to drink their fill of this cup of wrath. It has a fearsome effect. The drinkers stagger around helplessly. Many in our land and day are cheerfully drinking out of this cup, little knowing or caring what it will do to them when they have drained it to the dregs.

Yet there is a ray of hope even for those deluded people. Isaiah prophesies, "This is what your Sovereign LORD says, your God, who defends his people: See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again" (51:22). This remains true today because Jesus, the Son of God, took the cup of wrath that was destined to come our way and drank it Himself. That is a picture of what happened on the cross. The way is then open for us to receive the full glass of God's salvation and blessing instead.

The upshot of this is that you will certainly end up with a full glass. But it is important to make sure that the one you are holding in your hand is the right one!

Storage bins

The aftermath of my move nine months ago is still with me in the form of about 50 storage bins of differing sizes and colours. They await me, all stacked up, in a spare
room at the church. Between them they hold upwards of 4000 litres. If ever I had to store water I would have room for over a year's supply.

That amazes me, but it's a drop in the ocean compared to God's storage space.

Some of the biggest surviving buildings of the Middle Ages were tithe barns, massive empty structures designed to hold a tenth of everyone's produce as an obligatory contribution to the church. The system was resented. Yet all the produce we can store does not match what God has available for you and me.

Even back in the days of the last Old Testament prophet, Malachi, God's people were suffering from tithing troubles. Those were dark days, and the Jews were obsessed with looking after "number one". As a result they resented God's demands and begrudged God any gift or service which might leave them short. God does not dwell on their problems, but instead highlights His own generosity. "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need" (Malachi 3:10 ESV).

Isaac Watts penned a beautiful hymn about the crucifixion of Jesus, "When I survey the wondrous cross", which ends with these lines:

"Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an offering far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all."