Filled: A Devotional to Fill Your Life With an Abundance of Hope, Peace, Joy & LoveSampel

Day 5: You Can’t Pour from An Empty Cup

Take a moment to read through both Psalm 22 and 23. It’s almost like a lifeline that’s thrown out to you in the middle of a storm. There is something within these two Psalms that we are going to take a moment to explore.

Did you know that Psalm 22 and Psalm 23 came from the same heart? The same author penned them both. There is such a different emotion between the two isn’t there?

Which one do you relate more to at this moment in your life? If you are in a Psalm 22 place you might feel dry as a bone and find yourself just crying out for justice and mercy from God. He wants to fill you up! Jesus calls himself the bread of life. He calls himself the living water. It’s not an exaggeration. You and I need bread and water to survive. Our spirits are just the same. When we get dry, there is a place that we can go for water.

You can’t pour from an empty cup, right? It’s impossible. It’s okay to stop and say, “God, I am down to nothing. Fill me up again.”

I’m going to tell you a story to encourage you, especially if you’re in a Psalm 22 place. My friend, Rachel says, “I’ve got more issues than tissues.” One of them is I get anxious. I’m always wondering, second guessing and analyzing. Can I get an Amen? I was scrolling through Instagram and I heard a pastor say something that gave me pause. He said, “I know you’ve got issues and I know they’ve got a name, anxiety, worry, fear, but there is a name that is above all those things.”

There’s a name that can silence every fear. I just wanted to encourage you with that story. And if you are empty, if you’re feeling more like Psalm 22, I get it. Your Psalm 23 is on the way. Use the words for this author to be the words of your heart if you are struggling with how you feel. If you’re having trouble praying, may I encourage you to pray out the Psalms. Just start talking to God.

Let these Psalms be your voice. God counts tears as prayers too if you need to let a few of those out. If you don’t know what to say, just sit before Him. God is real. He is real. He is present. He’s here with us right now. He’s here with you in your Psalm 22 moments and in your Psalm 23 moments. He never leaves you.

PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for never leaving us. Thank you for allowing us to voice our feelings during moments of pain and moments of praise. Lord, I want to pour my heart fully out to you today.

REFLECTION: Pray out the Psalms. Use these Psalms for the words you may need as you experience both Psalm 22 and Psalm 23 moments. A great exercise is to write out these verses in a notebook or on a notecard as you pray through them.