All the Way to the Brim
By Pastor Justin Cooper
Be honest for a second. Most of us don't struggle to believe God can do something. We struggle to let go of the backup plan while He does it. We say we're trusting Him — and then we stay up all night pacing the floor, working every angle, keeping one hand on the escape hatch just in case He doesn't come through. It's faith with a safety net. And a safety net is just a polite way of saying, "God, I'm not sure You've got this."
At the wedding in Cana, Jesus gave a strange instruction: fill the stone water pots with water. It made no sense. Water doesn't become wine. But watch what the servants did — they didn't fill them halfway and hedge. They filled them, as the Scripture says, "up to the brim." — John 2:7. To the very top. No room left for a plan B, no space to sneak in a little something of their own if God's plan fell through.
"Faith is going all the way to the brim."
Pastor Cooper called out the thing we're all tempted to do: leave a little room for the flesh, "an escape plan in case God messes it up." But that's not trust — that's a hedge. Real faith fills the cup all the way and hands it over completely. "If you want to see God do something," he said, "you go all in with God. You just throw yourself on God."
And here's the part that should straighten your back up if you've been living defeated. When the wine finally came, it wasn't leftover, second- rate, barely-enough wine. The master of the feast tasted it and was stunned — the best wine had been saved for last. That's how God works. The devil tells you your best days are behind you, that whatever comes next will be a downgrade. Pastor Cooper's answer was simple: "It might be better. Might be better."
Your Monday morning next step isn't just to reflect — it's to release. Pick the situation where you're only 75% in, and find the escape route you've been secretly keeping. Then let it go. Pour the cup all the way to the brim. Tell God you're done keeping a plan B, and start living like the best wine might be coming at the end of the party — because in His hands, it just might.
Gospel Light Baptist Church · Walkertown, NC · glbcs.org · unsubscribe
