just know that it was a movie about how certain forces impacted a community
in a supernatural way. I remember one scene in which various electronic
appliances were taken over by these forces, including a television, and a
little girl putting her hands up on the screen and pronouncing “They’re
here'” It was sufficiently creepy.
Why am I bringing this up? Well….for about three months now my car radio
has brought back many memories from the Poltergeist movie. I have joked with
Lisa on various occasions that it is possessed. You see it is prone to not
work at all and then come on after days with a blaring, screeching sound.
Then, when it does work, it can cut out with kind of a loud bang and then
not be heard from for days. My other favorite is how it will randomly break
into this high pitched wailing that increases in intensity and convinces me
that my whole car is about to explode. On a good week I can get the radio to
play a half hour here or there on several occasions. My car also treats me
to a light show of sorts in that for most of the time my radio and clock
will have no display and then spontaneously turn on. Or, it will show me an
air-bag warning sign for a day and then it will be gone for two weeks.
Because of all this I knew I needed a remedy for my radio and I was not
about to sink $200 or so into a new one for a car that has 165,000 miles on
it. So………I bought myself a boom box that I keep in the car to enjoy my
music, news and Christian messages. However, the other day I ran into a
predicament. I was charging the batteries for the boom box but they weren’t
in ready in time for me to go to work. When I got up that morning I saw this
was the case but I just continued with my routine including my time of daily
devotion and praying for our various things including our church family and
missionaries. When I was done praying I said to myself, “You prayed about
some pretty big and important things today” and then as I was walking out
the door the thought occurred to me, why not pray that my radio will work
today? So I quickly offered the following prayer, “God, I really need to
hear the traffic, so can you get my radio to work? I know I can pray this to
you because you love me and care about the small things in my life.” So, I
got in the car and guess what? The radio turned on the display was
illuminated! But that is not it. It played the whole day and well into the
next….long enough for the batteries to charge! It has since returned to
its former Poltergeist level of functioning.
Anyway, I don’t have anything deeply profound to share with you about all
this but I do want to encourage you with a couple of thoughts. First, I know
a lot of people might put this experience in the coincidence category, but I
don’t. I worship the Lord of heaven and earth and everything in it and He
can control whatever He wants whenever He wants. Second, He has a deep love
for me. I claim this on the authority of His word and that nothing can
separate a believer from this love. Third, I believe God is “in the
business” of encouraging His children with personal experiences and my
little car radio story is an example of this. Lastly, I know that He knows
what is going on with me all the time, and so it is nothing for Him to hear
all my prayers, know all my circumstances, and act as He pleases. I hope you
don’t think I am being overly sentimental or connecting dots where I
shouldn’t but I think that sometimes we dismiss the idea that God will
interact with us in simple and good ways to encourage us along in life.
I encourage you to read the verses below and note just how well God knows
you. You may not have a crazy radio, but you have other stuff going on. Just
remember that He loves you deeply and wants to help in the big and small
things.
“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2You know when I sit and when I rise;
you, Lord, know it completely. 5You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Psalm 139:1-6
For Him,
Rob