Will you drink the cup?

The cup of suffering, the cup of sorrows, the cup of joy, and the cup of salvation. Will you hold it and look in? Lift it, and drink it to the bottom?

Will you continue to say "yes" to the call of the living God - even when there are no guarantees? Will you continue to walk the straight and narrow even when several other opportunities arise that offer relief and comfort apart from Christ? Will you be faithful to the call of Christ - to pick up your cross daily and follow him - the man of sorrows?

The cup of sorrows IS the cup of salvation, and we must accept both together. Holiness and joy both spring from suffering, and we must not avoid suffering lest we lose life itself.

Christ asked his disciples after many had left him due to the difficulty of his teaching, "Are you going to leave me, too?"

And his disciples responded as we must respond, with the truth of Christ and faith in him as a foundation, "To whom shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life." They didn't know what that commitment would mean for them, but they knew the next step. They knew only that there was no life apart from Christ, and so they knew that they must not turn away from him. It turned out that there was more suffering alongside him than they could have imagined.

BUT

"Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing. Were not the right man on our side - the man of God's own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus - it is he! Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same. And he must win the battle."

They did not suffer in vain. They were sharing in Christ's sufferings in order that they might share in his glory. That was their only guarantee, but in that they found life - not just life for today, but life eternal. And that is where we must find life as well, as we join ourselves unswervingly to Christ and follow him wherever he leads. We must look deep into the cup of salvation - overflowing with sorrow and joy - lift it to our lips, and boldly, humbly, and faithfully drink deeply until it is empty.

I drank the cup today. Will you join me?

"Forever with the Lord - Amen! So let it be
Life from his death, we live in hope of immortality
Here in this body spent, I with creation groan
Yet nightly pitch my moving tent a day's march nearer home...

And when my latest breath breaks through the veil of pain
By death I shall escape from death and life eternal gain
That resurrection word, that shout of victory
Once more, forever with the Lord - Amen! So let it be."