Antennas & Coverage
Last week my wife, sister, brother-in-law and I were in the Rocky Mountains for the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. It was a fantastic experience, and I gained a wealth of knowledge from gifted writers like Tim Shoemaker and Terry Whalin. While I respect and admire these men for their skills, knowledge and experience, I was even more impressed by their faith, authenticity, and accessibility. These men are true servants who demonstrate that Christian writing and editing is a privilege and powerful ministry calling.We could only manage to get intermittent cell coverage in the higher elevations, so we walked around trying to find the hot spots where we could send text messages and make calls. It was funny to see people occasionally putting their phones in the air trying to find cell service or maintaining an unnatural posture in order to maintain it.
The truth is that reliable cell service was always out there somewhere. We just had to move to the place where our phones could receive it.A life of worshipping God can feel like cell coverage. There are times when all four coverage bars are on, and we are hearing from God clearly. There may be other times when we have a hard time hearing God because of the noise from our culture, unwise moves we've made, or the circumstances that surround us.The reality is this: God is always there. He's not trying to hide His "signal" from us. He WANTS us to connect with Him. It's up to us to move to the personal, spiritual place where we can hear Him.When the people of Israel were exiled into Babylon due their continued and willful choice to walk away from God, their connection to God seemed forever lost. But it wasn't. Listen to what God said to them in the middle of their captivity:
"When you seek me, you will find me, when you seek me with all your heart…I will be found by you". (Jeremiah 29:12-13, NIV)
The people of Israel, forcibly removed from their homeland, had to reconnect with God. Only then could He bring them back to the Promised Land.My family has often heard me say, "Keep your antenna up". It's our code phrase for staying close to God through prayer, reading God's Word, and having healthy relationships with other like-hearted Christ Followers. When we keep our spiritual antenna up, no matter what circumstances surround us or what other noise our culture throws our way, we'll have a solid connection with God. Even if it feels like the connection is intermittent or dropped, God promises He will always be there with us and for us.So keep your antenna up towards God: It's necessary for His coverage in your life!I have a special request:I wrote an account of a real "God-antenna" encounter that happened to me recently. I entered it in the Faith Radio Christian Writer's Contest. I'm asking all my friends to read it and help me by voting for this submission if you like it. The top ten vote-getters will advance to the literary judges, so please tell other people about this. The voting deadline is May 31st, 2015.Here is the link to my submission, entitled "God's Grace and A Candy Bar"http://myfaithradio.com/2015/gods-grace-and-a-candy-barThanks!Chris