Telephone Poles

I’m going to share something with you that the Lord has been walking me through as of late and it has to do with telephone or utility poles.

Those poles that we see represent those times when our assurance in God is strong and we are shown that God cares about literally everything that happens to us. The distance between those poles represent the times when we may question as to whether God hears us or is aware of our deepest needs.

Obviously I have no problem with the telephone or utility poles, I love the poles because they are times when I am on the mountain top and God is near and I am overwhelmed that God hears me and cares. It is the distance or space between the telephone or utility poles that sometimes causes me anguish or concern because that space represents times when I do not experience the presence of God nor do I get immediate responses to all of my prayer requests.

And here is the kicker. The distance between those poles are getting progressively bigger. And, in like manner, the strength of assurance of those telephone poles is likewise increased periodically. Now what do you suppose God is trying to get across to me?

I know, I know, some of you are biting at the bit to tell me that our faith is not to be based on “feelings”, and I understand that. However, (pause for effect), when is the last time that your child or grandchild ran towards you, to embrace you, and you stepped out of their way? Doesn’t happen does it, or at least it shouldn’t. The thing is, God does indeed give us reassurance along the way, as we really require it, and from experience, my sense of when I require it and God’s awareness of when I require it, are not always one and the same.

I don’t know about you but I periodically need those telephone or utility pole experiences, where God’s presence and concern is manifested. And these realizations of renewal can and do come in a variety of ways, such as answered prayer, the internal witness of God’s Holy Spirit within us, to the truth in God’s Holy Word, the presence of God in worship or prayer, times of refreshing through fellowship and the love of God manifested through us, to others, through God’s Holy Spirit, are some examples.

Indeed, as the Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NASB “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

And I find that the stretching of my faith, where the realization that the absence of “feelings” does not diminish my faith and trust in God, due to the continued faithfulness of God, over an extended period of time (as in many telephone poles), is subsequently increasingly enhanced, overall, over time. Jeremiah 31:25 NASB comes to mind: “For I give plenty of water to the weary ones, and refresh everyone who languishes.”

I also find that there is a delicate balance that God maintains between our times of refreshing and the enhancement or stretching of our faith. One must be mindful of what God has already done for us in the past, as well as in the present. And I find that there is a correlation between the instances of refreshing and my awareness to the leading of, and submission to, God’s Holy Spirit, in my interactions with God and also others. Little things do really matter.

But this we can be assured of, as stated in Isaiah 41:10 NASB “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will also help you,
I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

And finally, 2 Corinthians 1;3-4 NASB: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Worthy is the Lamb! Blessings!