Psalm 23:1, 5 
The LORD is my shepherd; 
I have what I need.

You prepare a table before me 
in the presence of my enemies; 
you anoint my head with oil; 
my cup overflows. (CSB)

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I enjoy comparing different Bible translations and paraphrases. Seeing how devoted scholars have wrestled with the original languages the Bible was written in and how they chose the English words they did helps us understand the breadth and depth of important words and ideas. 

The YouVersion Bible has a new set of notes accompanying the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) that I am using as my primary translation this year. This is also the case for the other translations I often use (NIV, NLT, and NET). One of those notes on Psalm 23:5 says, “Each person’s cup is too small to hold all that God provides.”

That’s a thought worth pondering on this Thanksgiving Day. 

The New Living Translation (NLT) translates James 1:17 this way:

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

Every person we meet has a problem. Some are self-evident. Others are well hidden. A few are so deeply embedded even the carriers are unaware of the dysfunction in their souls. 

One of the issues of our age is the hyper-focus on our problems and our micro-focus on our blessed estate. Life is so much richer and fuller when we bring to mind the hymn that tells us to count our blessings and name them one by one. 

Thanksgiving Day provides a Do Over, a Reset, a Day to Remember with Gratitude. 

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I will call to mind my overflowing cup today. 

I will celebrate God’s gracious goodness, which is so much more than I can perceive or contain. 

I will recalibrate my thoughts and feelings with a major tilt toward gratitude because the LORD is my shepherd, and he is all I need and all I want now and forever. 

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Our Father, I sing and say again today: You are better to me than I would be to myself. Your generosity is abundant. Your kindness is unending. Your mercy is rich and plentiful. Your grace is amazing. My cup is too small to contain all the goodness you pour out on me. Amen.