Faith of the Cup

Matthew 20: ²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

²¹ “What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

²² “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

²³ Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

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“LORD I choose to follow YOU” were my words as I reviewed my ambitions. I wanted to change for the better so things would go smoothly for me. No sooner than I spoke these words, it seemed as if life got harder, much harder. “Wait, I thought life would be easier if I followed CHRIST.”

• I used to think following CHRIST would make life easier.
• I used to think following CHRIST would make my life problem free.
• I used to think following CHRIST would make all of my issues go away.

Heaven on earth was what I sought and this was my mistake. Following GOD not only meant dropping some bad habits, it meant I needed to mature in understanding HIM. HIS love for me is everlasting in spite of what is going on.

• GOD wants me to be mature enough to see HIS love in the middle of the storm.
• GOD wants me to understand HIS ways so I do not misinterpret HIS love.
• GOD wants me to open my eyes and follow HIM no matter what is going on around me.

“”Can you drink from MY cup?” is what he asks the sons of thunder and me. JESUS knows in life I will have an opponent that is sly and cunning. HE knows battles will come daily and my hope needs to be placed in HIM. I have faith in the cup.

• Are you going through a trial?
• Do you think you are all alone even when there is a crowd around you?
• Can you stop focusing on the circumstance and focus on GOD?