An Overflowing Bathtub or Coffee Maker?

This morning, as I lay with my warrior with the hope of helping him go back to sleep, I was thinking, praying and asking God what I could do if he fell asleep, and I got up for the day. (In other words, if I didn't get back in my bed!) Laundry, cooking, and sewing went through my mind. I told Him, of course, I could always spend time with You, but I was trying to think of something Productive to do.

Yes, I answered Him, I KNOW spending time with You IS productive, and I LOVE to do that, in fact, I could do that while the rest of the house fell down around me! However, I don't think the Lord put me here to spend all day having quiet time with Him. Please hear me, sometimes I need to do that. And, as I mentioned, I can do that VERY WELL! However, if I do nothing but let Him pour into me, how am I glorifying Him?

This brought the passage from James to mind about having faith, but no good deeds. James 2:17 says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (NIV84) That is something the Lord has been teaching me lately. 1 Corinthians 13 has been resonating with me also.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV84)

[Aside: I DO need to be sure that I'm being filled by the Lord. If asked how one can change, I'd wave my hand frantically in the air and say it's His Word alone that gives you the power to change. Praying and memorizing Scripture is the best (possibly only) way to connect knowing what we ought to do (the “rules”) to our hearts in a way that makes obedience personal. It's His Word and abiding in His Word with every step you take that makes a difference in your life. I say this to be sure you all know that I'm not one to take lightly the idea of spending quiet time with the Lord daily. I'll move on now...]

I could go on (okay, I did a little), but that's not where my thinking and praying led me. As I thought of overflowing the God's love and Spirit, a bathtub overflowing with water and bubbles came to mind. What good does that type of overflowing do? None, except to provide work for your hands! : )

I then asked the Lord to give me a better analogy. A coffee maker came to mind. Our coffee maker always has hot water in a reservoir, ready to brew some fresh, HOT coffee at a moment's notice. I put the FILTER in, then the grounds and slide the basket in above the carafe. Then I pour some fresh, cool water in the top of the coffee maker.

I don't swing the cover closed yet, because I've not put the pot under the basket to catch the coffee. There is no waiting for coffee, it will begin to “pour forth” as soon as I swing that cover closed! No, first I put some HOT water in the thermal carafe and swish it around. Why? Because when I heat up the carafe, the coffee stays hotter, longer! And I like that!

Once I put the carafe under the basket, I swing the reservoir cover closed and check the position of the carafe. I like it to drip right into the opening. The hot water sprays into the ground coffee, passes through the paper filter and into the carafe waiting below. In about 3 minutes, the coffee is ready to be poured out into my waiting mug!

I want to be like that water. First, I need to become hot - heated up - on fire - by the Holy Spirit. Next, I need to pass through the coffee grounds. Would that be the Word of God or bitter things in life? Maybe they represent the bitter things, the trials we've endured in life. Because the filter must be the Lord and His Word. Why? Because He filters out all those grounds, only allowing the water, now flavored by those grounds (trials), to pass through into the carafe waiting below.

And at that point, you begin to smell the sweet aroma of coffee filling up your kitchen. Ready to be poured out for myself and others to enjoy. WOW! [The wow was what I felt as I realized what a good analogy the Lord had given me. Especially for the challenges we've faced over the past year!]

I am reminded of all the verses in Scripture which speak of trials in this world. But, Praise God, he will turn those trials into something with a good aroma, clear and good to drink IF we add a good quality filter. (You know, there are some filters which are too short and end up letting coffee grounds up and over the side right into the carafe. That's not a pleasant way to end a cup of coffee! I don't think we ought to use that kind of filter with life's trials either...do you?)

The best filter I know of is His Word. He's used it to filter out all kinds of things in my life! Jesus uses these words when praying for His disciples, shortly before being arrested: Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17, KJV

Here is one of my favorite passages on living life, from the book of Psalms.

How can a young man keep his way pure?

By living according to your word.

I seek you with all my heart;

do not let me stray from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you.

Praise be to you, O Lord;

teach me your decrees.

With my lips I recount

all the laws that come from your mouth.

I rejoice in following your statutes

as one rejoices in great riches.

I meditate on your precepts

and consider your ways.

I delight in your decrees;

I will not neglect your word.

Psalm 119:9-16, NIV84

Thank You, Jesus, for answering my prayer...now off to shower! (I wrote this in my journal this morning.)

P.S. The best coffee filter I know of starts with a B and ends with an N. I'm not advertising here, just telling of my experience.

P.P.S.  I guess this was the answer as to what Productive thing I could do when I got up!