There is within us a “Cup”.

Why is it that so many Christians have trouble discerning the will of God? Why do they look more like the unsaved, godless society around them than they do the children of God? Why do they have such trouble when faced with worldly temptations and problems in life? The answer can be found by simply looking into this Cup within them.

First, let me explain how the Holy Spirit works in the lives of us mortals. The Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus after His Ascension into heaven to be our guide, our comforter, and the source of deep spiritual peace. The Spirit does all these things wonderfully well, but He does not do them in isolation. He most often draws from the resources we have put into our Cup. The fuller our Cup is, the more the Holy Spirit helps and comforts us. If the Cup remains empty, it is almost as if He isn’t even there because we have given Him little to work with. While it is true that the Holy Spirit is God, and that He needs nothing from us to do His will, it has also been my observation that He chooses to work in us and through us in a cooperative manner.

You see, it is our responsibility to fill the Cup with the Word of God – the Bible. That is what goes into this Cup. The more we read and hear God’s Word, the more we have stored those words in our Cup. When the problems and challenges of life come, and they will, the Holy Spirit within us looks into our Cup, and draws out the very verse, passage, or principle that we need to face that trial or situation within the will of God. If He finds the Cup full to the brim, He has all the resources He needs to keep us centered in God’s will. The more we can resist temptations. The more peace we will know because we can recognize God’s will in our daily living. But if He finds the Cup nearly empty, He will not bring to our mind things we have not stored previously.

So how full is your Cup? Do you keep it full? How often do you read the Bible?  How often do you turn to God’s Word for inspiration and comfort? What have you stored in your Cup for the Holy Spirit to work with?