Poured out…
2 Timothy 4:6 “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering…”
In the Old Testament a “drink offering” was where a cup of wine would be poured out as a sacrifice before the Lord. What made this kind of sacrifice unique was that there was no portion of it spared (as opposed to meat sacrifices where a portion would have been eaten).
As we navigate the challenges of life, we often feel as though we are being thoroughly poured out, down to the last drop. And in the disorientation that comes in seasons of being “poured out” it’s easy to feel lost, confused and discouraged.
It’s in these times that I need to be reminded that just because I can’t perceive of a way God could use these circumstances for good doesn’t mean that there isn’t one. Sometimes my cup is so full of other things, good things even, that I have no capacity to receive the new work that The Holy Spirit longs to pour into me. This requires an emptying.
Perhaps this season of emptying serves a greater purpose. Perhaps you are being poured out so that you have the capacity to receive what’s next. And perhaps you will never appreciate the abundant overflow for the lavish gift that it is if you’ve never experienced being emptied.
Lord, in this season of emptying, I am poured out before you. Infuse the pain of this season with meaning as I prepare my heart to receive all that You desire for me in what comes next. May your will be done, Your Kingdom come in my life as it is in heaven.
Psalm 23
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
