Tuning In to God

I can still remember my first portable radio. It was one I had seen at a friend's house; one I had seen in the shops and I really wanted one. I mean really wanted one. So much so that I had been dropping hints about it for quite a while (when I say dropping hints it was more like begging and pleading). After all my birthday was only three months away and that gave whoever was going to buy it for me plenty of time to save up enough money (you see how thoughtful I was?) Anyway my birthday duly arrived, I came down for breakfast before school and there it was, on the table, my very own brand new Roberts (other brands etc) portable radio. I couldn't wait to get home from school that day to go upstairs tune in and listen.

There were many subsequent nights, the nights I stayed in, when I spent a lot of time listening to various programmes. It was brilliant. I can't ever remember changing the batteries in it but I suppose I must have done at some stage of its life. I spent hours listening to programmes like, Dick Barton special agent (could he have been the precursor of James Bond?), Dan Dare, Journey in to space, Round the Horn and many others. Luxembourg became my favourite station!!

One thing I remember vividly was those times when I had to point the extendable aerial in a certain direction and find some way of holding it there while I twiddled with the tuner in order to be able to listen without interference. It was frustrating at times trying to keep the aerial in the right position while being careful to position the tuner correctly in order not to lose the reception. I remember our physics teacher taking time out in one lesson to explain to one or two of us the importance of the transmitter of the signal and the receiver being on the same wave-length.

That set me thinking. Could that physics teacher have, unknowingly, stumbled on the answer to those times when we find it hard to hear from God no matter how hard we try to tune in to Him? I know that the interference I found as I tried to tune in to my radio may relate to the interference that we experience,at times, as we try  to tune in to God. Come on be honest. You know the sort of thing I mean. How often do you settle down to read your daily reading (or better still your Bible) and the phone rings. Perhaps, as you are getting ready to seek God and something suddenly jumps in to your mind and you can't settle until you have sorted that out. The problem is that diversions such as these really do interfere with our tuning in to God. How often do you fully intend to talk with God but, for one reason or another, you don't manage to do it. Or could it be that, at times, we simply find it hard or tedious to tune in and stay in tune.

It seems to me that communication with God is on the same principle as that of radio communication. The receiver needs to be on the same wavelength as the transmitter if there is to be no interference.

What I mean is that the transmitter is God. The receiver is the human spirit and the wavelength is that of the Holy Spirit. He has come to live within us for that very purpose; that God may minister to us and we may minister to God. He is our 'go-between'  The human spirit, once born again, is our communication centre and, given that we all suffer from the interference of the flesh against the spirit, that's one extremely good reason to stay tuned in to God by maintaining a right relationship with the Holy Spirit.

How can we tune in to the wavelength of the Holy Spirit? There are four steps.  Step one:  Be sure that He is with us for us and always ready to help. Step two: Be determined to persevere as intention, of itself, is not enough. Step three: Be confident that you will get there (sometimes quicker than others) Be patient: God's timing is different to ours. We can be frustrated and willing to so easily give in. God never gets tired (though sometimes He may wait to test our determination)

Once tuned in stay tuned in!! Don't let interference find a way to prevent you hearing what God has to say. "Be still and know that He is God." The one certainty in all of this is that it's God's desire and our privilege to hear from God and to speak with God. Now there's a thought.​

Colossians 1:1-3 Set your minds on the things above and keep them set on what is above; the higher things not the things that are on the earth. As far as this world is concerned you have died and your new real life is hid, with Christ, in God.