The Displacement System

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.” Psalm 23:5

Two of my male cousins stood in their garage in front of a small table on which stood a huge, old restaurant coffeemaker. Two glass carafes sat beside the machine. They meticulously took the coffeemaker apart, carefully laying aside each piece in the order they had removed it.

My husband and I wandered in and watched for a few moments. When I asked why they were taking it apart, they said they had bought it at an estate sale but it didn’t work, so they aimed to fix it and take it to work for the staff to use.

After they put it all back together, they tried again. It still didn’t work. They had emptied out the old water, cleaned all the parts, and put it back together precisely as they had taken it apart. They poured the carafe of water in, and stood waiting and watching. Nothing happened. “I guess it’s no good. We’ll have to throw it away,” they murmured.

My husband spoke up. “You have to put in a second pot of water.” They looked at him for a few seconds, then it slowly dawned on them. “It’s a displacement system. You have to put in a second carafe so the first can spill over and come out through the basket holding the grounds.”

They wasted no time in pouring the second carafe of water, and sure enough, out came a full pot.

This is what our Father does with us. He pours into us so much that it runs over. Each day when we go to our quiet place to meet with Him, He desires to feed us until we are full and more than satisfied. The more He pours over us, the more will spill out onto others around us.

I know, speaking for myself, that when I find myself short-tempered with people, I have not spent enough qualitytime with the Lord. What is spilling over is just a gut reaction to what I am seeing, hearing, or feeling.

But my desire is to spill over onto others the grace and tender mercies of our Father in heaven. This will only happen as more of His goodness is worked into my inner self, and as I exhibit the mind and love of Christ. I cannot manufacture this out of thin air, just because I want it. It will only be in me as I abide in Him, and bear the good fruit He has worked in me.

He must increase, and I must decrease.

Father, this is an impossible work for us to do on our own. Work in us, Holy Spirit, so that we will spill over onto others Your beauty, Your grace, Your love, and Your glory. Amen.