Cup of Sorrow

My attitude was and still is like that of David, who was ashamed that the armies of Israel would tremble before Goliath. Without hesitation he stepped forward with complete confidence in the God who had proven Himself to be faithful (1 Sam 17). For David, the size of the giant was irrelevant.  Dave Hunt

Sorrow definition. A feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others.

Do you ever think about godly sorrow?  This is the sorrow that comes from the heart where we feel each other’s pain.  I was listening to a song yesterday by Amos Lee called Cup of Sorrow.  The first verses in the song are “I want to drink from Your cup of sorrow, I wanna wash in Your holy blood, I want to sleep with the promise of tomorrow, I know tomorrow may never come.”  

Jesus knew all there is to know about sorrow.  In Matthew 26:36-38 we see what true godly sorrow is all about.  Jesus was in Gethsemane and had asked the disciples to sit while he went to pray.  First, I can’t imagine knowing what is in store for you, (a painful death on the cross), and knowing that You are the chosen One to save the world through your death.  I don’t know about you but deeply distressed wouldn’t have covered it for me, but I’m a wimp and Jesus wasn’t.  Jesus then prayed to our heavenly Father to let this cup pass from Him; but his closing words were the most poignant: “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
One of the differences in Jesus understanding of sorrow was that He knew what His destination was and He continued to walk toward it knowing the outcome would not be good.  That’s godly sorrow.  It’s the sorrow of dying for someone else. 

Don’t you wish it was as easy as drinking from Jesus’ cup of sorrow?  Where you would be filled with godly sorrow to know that the path You were created to follow is where redemption and life everlasting resides. 

Later in the song he sings: I want to sit at Your table of wisdom; So that not one crumb shall go to waste; For if we keep down this pathway to destruction; Well, our children will suffer for our haste. The only remedy for this fallen world is to “drink from His cup of sorrow and sit at His table of wisdom, so that no crumb goes to waste.”

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I want to drink from your cup of sorrow.  I want what breaks Your heart to break mine.  Godly sorrow means I will suffer.  It may be for others and sometimes it is for myself. Give me a heart like Jesus’ who suffered the ultimate sacrifice so that I might be saved.  I praise Your Son and I praise You.       

      

Scripture: Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.  For observe this very thing; that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.  2 Corinthians 7:9-12