The Cup in Your Hand
By Pastor Jerry A. Burns
If you live in Canada, you know the sight. A red and white cup in someone’s hand. Steam rising into cold February air. A lineup of cars wrapped around the building before the sun is fully up. Tim Hortons has become more than a coffee shop — it’s almost a national accessory. It feels normal to see someone walking into work, hockey practice, or church holding that familiar cup. It’s just part of life.
I’ll admit, I sometimes grab a coffee there on my way into work. And every time I pull in, I’m amazed at how busy it is. It doesn’t seem to matter if it’s minus twenty or a mild spring morning — the line is steady. People crave that warmth, that routine, that small comfort before the day begins. There’s something reassuring about holding a hot cup when the world feels cold and demanding.
But as I’ve stood in those lines, I’ve thought about how much we lean on little rituals to steady us. Coffee isn’t wrong. Traditions aren’t wrong. In fact, they can be good gifts from God. But no cup of coffee can give lasting peace. No morning routine can carry the weight of your burdens. That warmth fades. The cup empties. And by mid-morning, you’re ready for another. The Lord offers something better.
While Canada may run on coffee, the believer runs on Christ. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Coffee warms your hands for a moment, but Christ warms your heart for eternity. A drive-thru may get you through the commute, but only the presence of God will carry you through the storms of life.
It’s funny how normal that coffee cup looks in someone’s hand. But what should be even more normal for the Christian is dependence on the Lord. Before we reach for caffeine, may we reach for Christ. Before we check our phones, may we check our hearts. Before we step into the rush of the day, may we rest in Him.
So tomorrow morning, if you find yourself in that familiar lineup, watching the sunrise over a snowy parking lot, let it remind you: as faithful as that coffee shop may seem, God is more faithful still. His mercies are new every morning — and they never run dry.
Before you take your first sip of coffee, take your first moment with the Lord. Let that ordinary cup remind you that while coffee may wake your body, only Christ can steady your heart.
"The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; And all the upright in heart shall glory." — Psalm 64:10
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This Week's Radio Program
Week Eighteen • May 3, 2026
Trusting God With Tomorrow (Pt. 3)
In this final part of the message, “Trusting God with Tomorrow,” we are brought face to face with a powerful truth from Scripture—while we often plan our days and assume the future, the Bible teaches us that life is fragile, uncertain, and completely in God’s hands. As James reminds us, our life is “even a vapour” that appears for a little time and then vanishes away . The issue is not planning, but planning without God—living as though we are in control of what only God knows.
This message walks through the heart of biblical trust: having a proper perspective of tomorrow, a humble posture before God today, and a surrendered plan that says, “If the Lord will.” Whether facing uncertainty, fear, or the illusion of control, we are called to draw near to God, rest in His care, and trust that His will is good, even when tomorrow is unknown. Because Christ has risen, our future is secure—not in our plans, but in His perfect hands.
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