May 29, 2012

Receiving and Believing

Mathew 13:13-17

13 That is why I use these parables,
   For they look, but they don’t really see. 
      They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
   14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
   ‘When you hear what I say, 
      you will not understand. 
   When you see what I do, 
      you will not comprehend. 
   15 For the hearts of these people are hardened, 
      and their ears cannot hear, 
   and they have closed their eyes— 
      so their eyes cannot see, 
   and their ears cannot hear, 
      and their hearts cannot understand, 
   and they cannot turn to me 
      and let me heal them.
   16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

When I found this verse I stopped to think about what I had just read.  I thought about all of the different messages that have been spoken to me through out the years and all of the substance that each one of those messages contained.  I believe that God appoints leaders and speakers to speak His truth into other peoples lives for a purpose.  God was speaking to ME in those moments.  What if I TRULY received everything that I heard? What if I took it a step further than "a belief" and REALLY started to believe what God told me? I know that if I really started to receive and believe what God tells me everyday that I would be and will be in the middle of a move of God.

This concept really hits home for me and I believe that there are many other people who can relate.  I didn't have a rough childhood or get into trouble all that often, but I can honestly tell you that I have experienced the difference between actively believing in something, and "a belief".  A belief is a phrase, but believing is a lifestyle.  A belief is a thought, but believing is when you do something with that idea.  I can also tell you that I have experienced the difference between hearing and receiving.  When you hear something you think about it for a time, but when you whole heartedly receive something it changes who you are and how you live out your life everyday.  I know for a fact that there are many people who have heard the Gospel and about the love of Jesus, but they have never let Him change their heart.  Our hearts start to change when we allow God to touch our lives in a real and personal way.

I was recently presented with the opportunity to speak truth into my classmates at Lake Nona Highschool.  In English we were to write a song, and it could be about whatever we wanted it to be about.  I saw this as an opportunity to share my faith with my peers and to challenge them to make the most of their life that has been given to them.  So I wrote this song about how God desires for all of His children to come to a knowledge of Him, but that can only happen when we choose to listen and receive what He has done for us. Below is that song.




We will only experience God's love when we personally take TIME to receive from Him and let Him change who we are.  If you have a relationship with the lord, ask for Him to show His love to you everyday so that you can INFECT the world around you with the love of Jesus Christ.  If you don't REALLY know God in your life, I pray that you will take the time to really receive from God and start living a lifestyle of believing; a lifestyle of radical faith.  God is standing in your direction with arms wide open waiting for you to turn around and fall into His embrace.  I pray that we can discern hearing from receiving and "a belief" from believing and as the church, we WILL change the world.

2 comments:

Laura said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Laura said...

cool Shane! Thanks for being BOLD!