While beverages purchased from various drive-throughs will always differ in price, there is one consistency: they all come with a lid. This is perfect for preventing spills, yet it’s also a hindrance — the drink cannot be refreshed or refilled as long as the lid is in place.

Spiritually speaking, our lives resemble a cup with a detachable lid. When the cup is topless, we remain ready to receive whatever God wants to pour in, according to His plan, His timing, and His will. However, if the lid is snapped firmly in place, we essentially cap ourselves off. In Spiritual Warfare lingo, this is called a block. An outright refusal to repent of sin certainly causes a block to form; however, most blocks begin much more subtly, such as through thoughts like I’m good…I don’t need God’s help…I got this. Just like a lid that caps a beverage, these self-reliant thoughts become barriers which prevent God from refreshing or refilling us. Blocks that remain in place too long lead to stagnation — nothing fresh is poured in and nothing rotten is poured out.

One biblical character who exemplifies this concept is King David.

As a young shepherd, David was the only Israelite brave enough to stand up to Goliath, the trash-talking Philistine, who openly mocked the God of Israel. With his trust firmly rooted in the Lord Almighty, David killed Goliath with one stone flung from his slingshot. While this was certainly an amazing display of faith, not all of David’s decisions led to grand results. Some, in fact, were downright disastrous.

For example, King David initiated an extra-marital affair with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. When David received word of Bathsheba’s pregnancy, he recalled Uriah from the front lines, hoping he’d sleep with Bathsheba. Unexpectedly, Uriah refused, saying he did not want to enjoy the comfort of his wife while his fellow soldiers remained on the battlefield. So after Uriah returned to combat, David arranged for his murder by instructing Joab, his commander, to order a partial retreat, ensuring that the purposely abandoned Uriah would die at the hands of the enemy. In an attempt to cover his sin, David took Bathsheba as his own wife. God, burning with anger, told David, through the prophet Nathan, that the baby to be born to Bathsheba would not live. After acknowledging his sin, David fasted and prayed for his son. On the seventh day, however, the boy died. As set forth in 2 Samuel 12:19-20, upon hearing that the infant had passed away, David did the unthinkable. Instead of raging against God, he got up and went to the house of the Lord to worship.

In another instance, in direct disobedience to God’s specific command NOT to count the people, King David ordered his commander, Joab, to conduct a census, which revealed that between Israel and Judah, there were 1,300,000 fighting men (2 Samuel 24:9). Again, David’s actions kindled the anger of the Lord. Speaking through the prophet Gad, God told David to choose a consequence: three years of famine; three months of pursuit by Israel’s foes; or three days of pestilence. Acknowledging the goodness of God, David chose the illness, saying that it was better to fall into the hands of the living God than to fall into the hands of men. As the plague ravaged Israel, David followed the Lord’s instruction — he built an alter and offered burned sacrifices in order to end the destruction.

Clearly, David struggled to control his fleshly desires; however, that’s not how he’s defined. According to 1 Samuel 13:14, David is remembered as a man after God’s own heart. In other words, David is known for his relentless pursuit of God, with a repentant and worship-centered heart. David is the G.O.A.T. for his faith, not his flaws.

In Psalm 23:5, David says of the Lord: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Even when he was surrounded by his foes, David kept his eyes on God and made sure he was ready to receive all that God wanted to pour into him.

If you want to ditch the lid, follow David’s model: Repent – Worship – Repeat. Then get ready — your Overflow is on the way.