There was a man who didn't have cable television. He didn't have Satellite Television. He didn't have an ATSC over the air HD tuner. He did have a television that was HD ready, but it didn't have the hardware to tune a signal on its own. It could still display an HD image if he could find a way to pass one to it. When he watched TV, he watched a low resolution analogue signal picked up by a pair of rabbit ears. But come February 17th, 2009 his system gave him nothing but static. Crystal clear vibrant images were beaming throughout his home, but he was not able to discern their presence.
So will it be for all those without the Spirit in the kingdom.
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Spiritual discernment is sensing (looking, listening, feeling) for what God is saying in a given time, about a given thing. When your antennae are up, God can be heard and seen most everywhere. But, we don't all have the same hardware (or maybe I should say firmware). So many lack the tuner to pick up the HD JESUS all around us. Many others haven't configured the settings on their set top boxes, so to speak.
I've talked with my kids about praying to God, being with God and listening to Him - hearing Him guide and direct. I share with them the things God is teaching me. They are still young, so I have to keep it pretty simple. I love the story of young Samuel in the temple getting up in the night hearing God speak, and thinking it was Eli. I've encouraged them to be listening for God. A few days ago my wife told me that Isaac confided in her, "Mom, I can't hear God talking."
(I love this because it means He is trying to hear God!)
"What did you tell him?" I asked.
"We talked about how God speaks to us through his Word, and how it isn't always an audible voice." Then she asked me, "What would you have said?"
I would have said, "I think you will someday, if you really want to. We don't really listen with our ears. We listen with our hearts. We listen in Spirit." I would have told him that we learn how to hear God by spending time with Him, by trusting in Him, and the best place to start is to ask for His help to hear, and start reading and knowing the Word.
At which point he would have smiled and nodded and asked me to fasten his superman cape around his neck so he could fly off and save the day!
The coming of the Spirit of God at Pentecost was like this technology switch that is forthcoming for us. The old way of relating to God ceased. A new way had begun. This new way was better in every possible category.
What will you spend to make sure you can watch your TV come February? And how is your God reception?
3 comments:
This is really insightful, Erik. What a great analogy! Thought-provoking and challenging ... do you mind if I share it?
Feel free to share whatever you find here Marcia. Do cite your source, and please let me know how it is received.
Absolutely!
I help teach a girls high school Sunday school class, and I think this analogy will lead into some really good discussion. I'll probably use it in a few weeks, and I'll let you know. Thanks.
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