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Week 3: Interference
Just about everyone who has used a cell phone has experienced a dropped call. There's one spot in particular where I used to consistently lose whoever I was talking to as I crossed over from one antenna's coverage area to another. Tunnels are also notorious for cutting people off. Then of course there's the areas where you just can't get any signal at all. There is a general principle of any transmitted signal, be it radio, TV, cell phone or whatever. The closer you are to the source, the stronger and clearer the signal. Generally, transmitters don't move. The receivers begin to lose signal strength as they get further away. The same is true with God. When He feels far away from us, it isn't Him that moved... We did.
Some signals are even so precise that they require what's called "Line Of Sight". If there is not a direct path that the signal can take from the transmitter to the receiver, nothing will come in. My parents have one of those small satellite dishes. It was fall when my dad and I installed it along the side of the house. We tuned is in and were just amazed by the picture quality. Spring came and suddenly, we couldn't get anything in any more. The newly grown leaves on the trees at that side of the house were now interfering with the dish's reception. We had to move it up to the peak of the roof to get it where we wouldn't have that problem any more. The one or two leaves that were still clinging on last fall were no big deal, but now they had come back with friends and nothing was getting through.
How many times have you felt like your prayers just bounced right off the ceiling? Have you ever questioned if God was really listening? The Bible refers to Jesus as
Immanuel, "God with us". (MT 1:23) He promised that he would never leave us or forsake us. (DT 31:6) You see, since he is always with us, He always hears us. We're the ones with the hearing problems, not Him. In this mass media culture of today, there are a lot of voices out there vying for our attention. Sometimes it can be hard to hear His still small voice it the midst of it all. Little things in our lives can add up like the leaves and block our reception of God's will for us.
Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."
"Your mind doesn't stay renewed anymore than your hair stays combed." - Kenneth Hagin
Keeping the lines of communication with God open is a continuous process. We need to be constantly working to filter out interfering signals so we can focus in clearly on Him. Matthew 12:34b says "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." In other words... Garbage In - Garbage Out. You need to dwell on the things of God... prayer, the bible, etc. "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17) It all comes down to this... If you want to know what God's will for you is, you have to get yourself in a position to hear it.
Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. [9] Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Throughout the week, keep track of the things you subject your mind to... programs you watch, music you listen to, people you hang around. Ask yourself what kind of effect is each having on you and decide whether or not it falls in line with Philippians 4:8.