Is Your Receiver Working?
"By an act of faith, Rahab, the Jericho harlot, welcomed the spies and escaped the destruction that came on those who refused to trust God."
Hebrews 11: 31
The Message
EXPLORATION
"Is Your Receiver Working?"
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"Whosoever walks toward God one cubit, God runs toward (her) twain."
Author Unknown
How has my belief in God, my faith in God, opened me to receiving from Him?
"So long as we imagine it is we who have to look for God, we must often lose heart. But it is the other way about – He is looking for us."
Simon Tugwell
INSPIRATION
"So I say unto you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you: seek and keep on seeking and you shall find: knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you."
Luke 11: 9
Amplified Bible
When I was a young girl, televisions still had antennas on them. We called them "rabbit ears." I can remember moving around the two silver poles, every which way, hoping we would somehow get better reception on the little black and white TV my parents owned.
What I found was that there were all kinds of things that interrupted or distorted the picture we were getting. But when the antennas were finally in the "right place," with a sigh of relief, we would get a clear image on the TV screen.
Yesterday we studied about the first building block in our "firm faith foundation." We came to recognize that Rahab looked at the evidence and had a choice to make – she could choose to believe God or she could choose to deny God. Interestingly, the same evidence was presented to everyone in Canaan. Everybody was witness to the workings of the God of Israel. In Jericho, however, Rehab ended up being the only person who believed.
And it was her faith, the size of a grain of mustard seed which was all Rahab needed for her "antenna" to be up and her "reception" to be clear. For we are told that when two strangers, Israelite spies, came to her place of business, she "welcomed" or "received" them. You see, when we make a choice to believe or have faith in God, all of a sudden it's as though our antennas are in the right place and the picture and will of our Heavenly Father becomes clear. What's more, we begin to see His working in our lives, even when "two spies," people we don't even know, show up on our doorstep.
The mighty preacher, Charles Spurgeon, perfectly describes what happens when we decide to keep the antennas of our lives attune to heaven's message: "When I was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me; I sought the Lord. But how did you come to the Lord? The truth flashed across my mind in a moment – I should not have sought Him unless there had come some previous influence in my mind to make me seek Him."
In Rahab's life, when she chose to believe or have faith in the evidence of God, she opened her life to receiving and welcoming the continuing influence of God. It is this continuing influence that is like the antennas in our own lives. As our antennas go up, the reception improves – and the view of our Father sharpens.
I recently read this cute story about a little girl whose kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they drew.
She would occasionally walk around to see each child's artwork.
As she came to one little girl, who was working diligently, the teacher asked the youngster what the drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing the little girl replied, "They will in a minute."
Our first brick in our faith foundation was believing. Our second is receiving. By believing, we open our lives to receiving the clear picture which comes to us from a Father who is continually seeking us – His children.
Charles Spurgeon so beautifully wrote: "Faith goes up the stairs that love has made and looks out the window which hope has opened." I'd like to add, that by keeping our antennas up, we'll receive the perfect reception of the hope our Heavenly Father wants to shine more brightly into our lives every moment of every day.
"Make us receptive and open and may we receive Your kingdom like children taking bread from the hands of their Father."
Huub Oosterhuis
AFFIRMATION
Come Close To The Door
"The wind is a tempest in the peach trees.
The sun warms the skin on my face.
But coldness creeps close to my heart
When I think I have to live so far from You.
The birds chirp,
"Come close to the Door. Open it!
God's there waiting to resurrect you!"
I am speechless.
This is love beyond reason!"
Reverend Elyn Mac Innis
Women's Uncommon Prayers
Your friend
Dorothy Valcárcel
