Empty Your Cups

“What’s the purpose of you asking that arrestee to lift up his shirt on the front and back and the pant legs?” asked a curious deputy working with me that night at the prison’s Intake. He was baffled that I did that though the man caught using marijuana denied any medical or mental history.

“It just became my habit,” I replied. “Most of them deny any vices. But from the past, when I asked some of them to do that, I usually found some needle tracks because some of them were using heroin.”

“That made sense,” replied the deputy with a smile. He started to walk away from my tiny clinic and never questioned me since. He just observed and trusted my ways of probing the newly-arrived arrestees, knowing that at times, I was using my instinct. [Spiritually, I call it ‘discernment’ from the Lord that I always ask for…].

And it wasn’t easy. Every time. To know that some of them were only telling half of the truth. To cover their crimes. Thinking that the cops would use their answers to press more charges.

“Tell me the truth,” I often uttered. “The cops who arrested you won’t use your answers against you. The info would be for the medical staff. So that if you ever go into withdrawal from using drugs or alcohol, we would know what to do right away to help you out,” I explained.

Some would obey. Some would remain hesitant because of fear. Some remained upset that they were being questioned in the first place. They would get up. Often with pride. And denial. Proud that they didn’t need to be caught. Because they claimed the use of “medical marijuana”. When they couldn’t even prove that they have severe health issues that required it. Denial - that it was still illegal.

“5 For I was born a sinner --yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. 6 But you desire honesty from my heart, so you can teach me to be wise in my inmost being.” - Psalm 51:5,6

God wants our hearts to be right with Him. No sin is too great to be forgiven! God can forgive any sin. That is…if our heart’s attitude is right…Our outward actions can never please God. For He requires a broken and repentant heart.

Psalm 51:17 - “The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.”

Are you truly sorry for your sins and genuinely want to stop? That’s what God wants…I pray that you will empty your cups [hearts or your lives] and have them be filled with His love!