This week I finally called Comcast. I say finally because my internet has gone out multiple times and then it comes back on. It did not work for me to unplug the modem as we are told to do. It didn’t help to talk to the Comcast agents for what seemed like an eternity. You all are nodding your heads. You get it. You have been there too. Beyond frustrating. One time, in desperation, I put my hands on the modem and cast out a technological interrupter demon. Okay, I was a bit delusional and even more I was desperate. But it worked!!
So….
The next time this technological demon snuffed out my internet I was armed and ready to go. Ready to fight back in prayer casting it out. But it did’t work so I called Comcast (which understandably felt like I was calling in enemy forces anyway). Big companies hold all of the good cards in their hands.
So…
Last week a very nice young man from Comcast came to see about my problem. By the time he got there my internet was working again, But since I had to wait a week for them to come, I decided to keep the appointment. I told him about my problem; that the internet would work one day and not the next. (I did not tell him I had tried to cast out the technological interrupter demon. He may have left:) It did seem as though a rain storm may have precipitated it going out one or two of the times. He checked things inside and then went outside. This is what he saw:
He told me that the issue was that I had crossed jumbled cables that looked similar to a nest. He slowly removed the cable going into my house and ran a new cable coming into my house. And voila! Issue resolved!
Friends, I think that some of us have our wires crossed. Our connection to the Shepherd’s voice is interrupted or even short circuited by noise, chaos, busyness or fear during this stressful time in the world. Our focus is on the news, on survival, or even denial. But God.. is still speaking and His Words are the only ones that bring us LIFE.
What can we do to unscramble our connection or start a fresh connection to the voice of God? Draw near. Sound too easy? It is. Make hearing God’s voice a priority. He is speaking in AM and we are tuned in to the wrong frequency. We are tuned into FM. He is speaking from the perspective of the great I AM. We are listening from the perspective of the FAMILIAR; the demand of the urgent, the news droning in our ears, the opinion of others.
A few months ago, as I was preparing for our fall study on Hebrews, the Lord spoke to my heart. I must say it shook me to the core. He said: ” You never asked me what to teach.” I sat. He spoke again. “I want you to teach on the Kingdom.” I share this with you because years ago, I would have said that this was my vain imagining, but I have learned that if I ask the Lord to open my ears (I do this daily) then I must expect to hear His voice. I have missed His voice more times than I can count and it wasn’t much fun. I had to walk through my valley when I could have been enjoying the view from the mountain top. When I find myself bowing down to the god of fear and anxiety or busyness, His voice becomes too faint to hear. When I seek Him first, He drowns out the other voices and His frequency brings me peace.
I have a confession to make. I am concerned that the body of Christ, inundated by world events has lost it’s way. To be sure I am preaching to myself. It’s easy to lose our way. Some of you are experiencing unprecedented stress in your jobs, or loss of jobs, or marriages. Families are upside down waiting to see how the schools will reopen during this pandemic. But God is still speaking. He has the answers to life’s questions. Let’s take the time to tune in to His voice.
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