Recently, I heard my friend, Pastor David Briggs preach about the “Law of Displacement.” This describes the process in which a container is filled with something that displaces or pushes out what the container used to contain. Pastor Briggs’ point was that God can remove what should not be in you and give you a supply of what should be. Listen to the narrative in Matthew 14:25-31 of Peter walking on the water.
“Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. {26} And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. {27} But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” {28} And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” {29} So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. {30} But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” {31} And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?””
When we fill ourselves with God’s presence and His Word, we displace what is not pleasing to Him and replace it with what does please Him. When Peter realized that it was Jesus, walking on the water, he asked the Lord if he could come to Him. Peter was doing fine. He was nice and dry, until he allowed the doubt that filled him to cause him to sink. If Peter had displaced his doubt with faith and trust, he could have danced on the water all the way to Jesus. Will you exchange the doubt (and whatever else is not pleasing to God) for faith and trust? Go ahead and do it. Then just start dancing on what you thought would sink you.