Vessels and Beverages

What is the purpose of a container? The name gives it away. A container’s purpose is to contain something. I know there are containers, vases and such, in art galleries that were made for looks, but we are talking about real life containers here.

I’m sure you have a favorite cup. Maybe two or more. I have my ‘Cherish the JOurneY’ cup from which I love to drink my cappuccino. I have my big Yeti that I take with me when I play golf in the summer heat. I have my little Yeti that contains my cappuccino I take to the office in the mornings. But what good is the container if it does not ‘contain’ anything?

The most important thing is what is in the cup (vessel). My big Yeti cost over thirty bucks. That is a lot of money for me to pay for a cup even though it is a great cup. It keeps my cappuccino hot for hours and my cold drink cold for 18 holes. But if there is nothing in the cup, it is useless.

We were created to be vessels for God. He created us so that He could express Himself to the world uniquely. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. He chose to do it in, through, for, and as us.

As a vessel, we are empty if He is not in us. There is no life in anything but Him. If He is not IN us, we have no reason or purpose for existing. That is why we were dead in sin. He was not IN us. We had no life apart from Him.

Let’s say you are stranded in the desert dying of thirst. You have a state of the art canteen, but it has no water in it. If you could choose, would you rather have the empty canteen, or a dirty paper cup filled with water? That’s what I thought.

In that scenario, water is life for you. The kind of vessel that contains it is of no value. An empty vessel has no value apart from what it contains.

You and I are vessels of Living Water, Jesus, Himself. Think about that for a minute. We live in a world that is dying of thirst for Living Water. He has given us the honor and privilege of carrying Him to people so that He can quench their dying thirst for life. WOW!

Why is it that people in the world spend so much time on making their vessels look good when they contain no life inside? It’s because man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. What is on the inside is the most important thing to God.

What’s in your vessel?

Pop the Top

Take the common 16.9 ounce plastic water bottle filled with water. It is filled with thirst quenching H2O. Even though you hold the bottle of water in your hand, it will not quench your thirst until something happens. You must ‘pop the top.’ The water cannot be released until you remove the cap.

[Image result for images of plastic water bottles]

Vessels are not meant to keep what it contains. Vessels hold its contents until it can be released. What good would it do to fill vessels and never release the contents? I put cappuccino in my Yeti so I can drink and enjoy it, not sit there forever. Even my Yeti won’t keep it warm that long.

As vessels of the Lord, we were created to pour Him out. Then He refills us so we can pour Him out again, and again, and again. The Bible tells us to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). That does not mean one time only. It means to be ‘continually being filled.’ A never ending process.

Jesus told the woman at the well:

Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst — not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life” (John 4:13-14 MSG).

The cap represents our faith, or the lack thereof. Before the water can come into the bottle, the cap has to be removed. By faith we open our hearts and receive Him as our life.

Once the Living Water is IN us, He wants to be poured out of us into the world. The cap has to be removed so that He can be released. But not to worry, He is filling us back up as we are pouring Him out. He is a never-ending supply.

Is your bottle still capped? Have you opened your vessel and allowed Him to fill you? Or have you received Him, but now you won’t release Him for fear of what the world may think of you?

You think about that.

Blessings,

Kenny