LISTEN ONLINECaught drinking his tea from the saucer one day, my dad blurted out, “I can’t help it. My cup overflowed!” But the twinkle in his eye gave away his enjoyment of that little bit extra. Let’s be honest, which of us has not enjoyed an unexpected ‘overflow’—the cream dripping from the lip of the jug or the ice-cream running down the cone. Each little extra delivers joy.
In a deeper fashion, David, in this much-loved Psalm, exudes excitement as he describes the lavishness with which the Heavenly Shepherd cares for us, His sheep. David speaks of the Lord’s rich provision (Psalm 23:2), His guidance and protection along life’s convoluted journey (v. 3–4), and how even opposition doesn’t prevent God’s goodness and love reaching us (v. 5–6).
Yet, those three little words—“my cup overflows” (v. 5)—grab my heart. For it’s in the darkest valley that God promises this extravagant blessing (v. 4). God doesn’t merely give us what we need in our difficulty but He pours His compassion into our lives with such extravagance that it overflows in blessing, even in the places we expect it least. We need not fear when we leave the lush pasture and gentle brook behind, for our Great Shepherd remains with us. As the psalmist assures, God’s goodness and love “will follow me all the days of my life” (v. 6 ). An overflow that delivers joy.