My cup overflows | May 24, 2026 | Pastor Raph

My cup overflows

At least once a year, a pastor should pass by Psalm 23 with the church. Why? Because that is the Psalm that reminds us to whom we belong.

People today live with anxiety, insecurity, and fear of lack or danger. Because God is our good, faithful, steadfast shepherd, we can live without fear or lack, even in life’s darkest moments.

Know that we are not part of a movement or an organization. Some sort of membership club or religious sect. We are Jesus’ very flock.

This is one of David's Psalms that does not tell us the situation he was involved in ( compare with Psalm 51, 56, 59 or 142). These are historical prefaces, technically called a historical superscription in their opening lines. 

Charles Spurgeon said that David could not have written these words given his temporal or earthly circumstances, as his life was marked by great trouble, from his days as a shepherd to his time as a hunted exile, and later as a king beset by war and family tragedy.

Psalms 23 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

David, a former shepherd himself, writes not as a detached observer—but as someone who knows both sides.

He knows what it means to lead sheep… and he knows what it means to be one.

Jesus can be our perfect good shepherd because He is the Lamb of God.

He became like us

John 10:10-11 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

When God called Moses, he added Aaron to his ministry, because Moses never experienced what the people, as slaves, had suffered. 

However, our deliverer knows what it is to suffer. 

Hebrews 2:18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

John 10:14-15 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Shepherding was not a clean, serene, or glamorous job. It involved a grueling, twenty-four-hour-a-day commitment of living in the dirt with the flock, fighting off wild animals, and guiding stubborn animals through hostile terrain.

I shall not want

Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

That statement changes everything.

David does not say, “The Lord gives me some help.” He says, “The LORD is my shepherd.”

This is personal. Not "a" shepherd. Not "the" shepherd in general. My shepherd. And because of that relationship: “I shall not want.”

This does not mean we never face difficulty. It means we will never lack what we truly need. It does not mean a life free from hardship, financial struggle, or physical pain. 

It does mean the Creator of the universe takes full, personal responsibility for the care, feeding, and protection of His flock.

He makes, He leads, He restores.

Psalms 23:2-3 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Sheep don’t lie down easily. They are anxious animals.

The work of the Holy Spirit today is to convince you about your righteousness, so we can lie down and be still.

John 16:8-11 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

• concerning sin, because they do not believe in me: it is “one sin”. Unbelief. That is the only sin that condemns a person to hell. Once you believe, that conviction is fulfilled.

- concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father: That is what the Spirit is working on us now. 

The Holy Spirit came into your heart to constantly remind, reassure, and convince you that you still possess the gift of righteousness through Christ—even when you make a mistake.

He wants to lead us to new levels of this revelation.

Romans 5:17 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

The shepherd provides all of that.

2 Corinthians 5:21 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Unless we are fully convinced of God’s righteousness in us, there is no Psalm 23:5.

Psalms 23:5 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. cup overflowing. The very end of the Psalm, 

Notice the relation of John 16:11.

John 16:11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

How can you sit at a table in the presence of your enemies? Only if the Spirit fully convinced you that "the ruler of this world is judged."

He is the Restoration and Provision

The place of provision, restoration and rest is Jesus Himself.

Psalms 23:3 He restores my soul.

Life drains us. 

Sin distorts us. 

Stress exhausts us.

Comfort in the valley

Psalms 23:4 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

David does not say “…if I walk through the valley". He says, “…even though I walk through the valley". 

A devastating medical diagnosis, the grief of losing a loved one, or intense relational betrayal.

The rod in Psalm 23 symbolizes God's strength and protection, used to defend the flock from predators and to count sheep (Leviticus 27:32).

The staff represents God's guidance and love, used to direct and rescue wandering sheep, especially when they are trapped or in danger. 

A staff identifies the shepherd as a shepherd. Used for the care and management of sheep—and only sheep. It will not do for cattle, horses or pigs - W. Philip Keller

This “valley” could refer to deep ravines where predators lurk, and shadows hide danger.

It represents anything that threatens us: Fear, loss, suffering and death. “I will fear no evil…”

Why?

Not because the valley is safe. Not because the danger is gone. “For you are with me.”

Did you notice the shift? Earlier, David said, “He leads… He makes… He restores…” Now he says, “You are with me.”

You are completely known, entirely forgiven, and eternally secured.

You do not have to earn the Shepherd’s love; you simply have to yield to it.

John 10:28-29 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

For most of us, it is in the valley that theology becomes personal.

Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The Hebrew word for "follow" means to actively pursue or chase down. How do "goodness and mercy" relate to the "rod and staff"? His rod points to His goodness. His staff points to His mercy.

His goodness pursues us; His staff pulls us close. 

You do not have to exhaust yourself chasing after God’s approval.

Psalms 138:7-8 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.

8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. 

God does not always remove the valley— but He always enters it with you.

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

The same God who corrects you is the God who comforts you.

A hospital hallway feels cold and overwhelming. Nothing seems to have changed about the situation… But once a close friend comes and stands close to us, everything feels different.

His presence changes everything.

God not only provides and protects… He stays with us.

My cup overflows

Psalms 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

He blesses us in the presence of enemies.

In the ancient Near East, hospitality carried profound weight. When a weary, dust-covered traveler arrived at a host's tent, the host would anoint their head with fragrant oil as a lavish sign of extreme honor, refreshment, and favor.

God treats us as His honored guests, serving us a feast of grace even while the spiritual battle rages all around us. 

John 10:9-11 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Spourgen also said, "The phrase, ‘my cup overflows,’ represents the pinnacle of the Psalmist’s experience. David realized that God’s grace provided an abundant, immeasurable, and excessive measure of blessing.

Why Some Cups Never Overflow?

Have you tried to fill a cup for someone who is constantly running? 

Doubt: Doubting God’s promises makes us uneasy. Makes us “Overfunctioners.” They feel that if they don’t "do it all" (or "fix it all"), things will fall apart. They are constantly running around, stressed, and exhausted. 

While being a “fixer" can be a positive trait, when it is driven by anxiety and leads to burnout when they try to dictate the outcome of every situation. 

The truth is that we don’t have control over everything, and powerlessness is a stressful trigger for many. So they hover, they interfere, they critique, and they take over tasks because they don't trust anyone else to do it “right."

Matthew 11:28-30 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The Wrong Source: wealth, worldly pleasure, or fame. These are "leaky cisterns" that can never truly satisfy the human heart, which was designed by God to be filled by Him alone.

When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, He intentionally broke through deep cultural, religious, and gender barriers to reach a thirsty soul.

She was drawing water alone during the hottest part of the day. Jesus shifted their conversation from physical water to an entirely different dimension. 

Earthly "wells" of relationships, status, and material desires she had been pursuing would always leave her hollow and thirsty. 

However, Jesus did not condemn her. He showed her his true existential thirst, revealing that he knew everything about her and yet still offered her unconditional belonging.

John 4:10 "Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink,” you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.'"

John 4:13-14 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The invitation to worship the Father in spirit and truth is Jesus revealing Himself as the long-awaited Messiah.

The only one who gives us a life-giving fountain directly within our hearts.

She was looking to be loved. She tried five times. Her sixth partner was not even a husband. But Jesus came as the seventh, perfect one who eternally satisfies.

The woman completely abandoned her water jar, leaving behind the symbol of her old, exhausting cycles of lack.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Therefore, all the philosophical questions a man’s heart can ask, “Where do I come from? Why do I exist? Where am I going?” are ultimately answered in God. I came from God. I exist for His glory, and I will meet Him in eternity. 

Riches create an illusion of substance, but they leave the soul completely hollow because they cannot provide identity, purpose, or ultimate security.

Fulfillment is found not in what you possess, but in who possesses you.

John 7:37-39 37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Envy: Comparing oneself to others or resenting others’ success creates a poison that prevents a person from enjoying what they have.

For those who truly trust in Jesus, the cup overflows. 

Possessing Christ means we possess all things. 

Romans 8:32 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

God Himself makes our cup overflow. God exceeds our prayers, our expectations, and our imaginations. 

The depth of His grace, the provision for our daily needs, the spiritual fruit produced in our lives, God’s gifts consistently surpass our hopes.

Ephesians 3:20-21 20 Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Today, you can hold your empty, dry life under the stream of divine grace offered in Jesus Christ. As you receive Him, you too will find that your life can be transformed into a vessel that overflows with His goodness.