Open To Receive

 

Written By Samantha Ann Waring-Jolicoeur

 

Last week, someone shared with me a dilemma she was having. I asked her if she would like me to do some research and look into something that may help her. She accepted the help willingly and with expectation. I immediately started doing some research. To her and my surprise I was quickly able to locate some information and resources that helped both her and I. When I presented it to her she showed such gratitude and appreciation. By this time, I was on a roll. I started doing more research and found more resources that I needed. I thought to share it with her and she said with genuine excitement “Oh thanks so much! I really really needed this. Thanks so much for your help!” I responded, “Any time! If you need any more help, just let me know.”

As I walked away from her, I felt a surge of encouragement to help her even more in the future based on some conversations we shared. I also started thinking of additional resources I could provide others. The heightened sense of desire I felt to help others, especially her, was so strong I prayed and asked God why was I feeling that way.

The Lord explained to me she was open to receive and I was open to give. He further explained that her openness to receive the help I offered placed a healthy demand on my skill set. She did not know this but God had used her as a divine provoker to provoke me to do good and go beyond. Her expectation pulled on my gifts in a healthy way. She had a problem and I was willing to help her solve it. She believed that what I had to offer was of substance and then showed gratitude and appreciation for what I had provided. This exchange between her and I fueled me on to help her even more. It was a chain reaction. She spoke to me, believed I could help, her heart was open to the help I had to offer, I could impart (provide information, tools, and resources) that help), and therefore It fueled me to give even more.

God took this experience and taught me a lesson (spiritual parallel). He said this is what happens when you put a demand on my word, by believing and trusting in me. If you look to me for all your needs and desires and trust in me (expectation) I take note and move to action. Your faith pleases me. It motivates me. I have an exceeding abundant supply to provide and can and will supply it. When your expectation is of me and that is where I want it, you indeed receive. Just believe and expect. When you show gratitude and appreciation for what I do that pleases me. I love it when my children are thankful for what I do for them. I am able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask or even think. He then spoke to me about the scripture where Jesus could not do many things but only a little in certain places because of their unbelief.

And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:58

      He said you could do more for her because she believed you could help her. She had faith, expectation, gratitude, and appreciation. Her heart was opened, not closed. If her heart was closed off, and she did not believe you could help her, you would not have been able to do much to help her. You would have been closed out. You would have no entrance to impart.

If we don’t believe a person can help us our heart will be closed off to what they have to say or offer. This can cause us to miss many opportunities. It is the same way with God. When we don’t believe He can help us, we will close our hearts and mind to His Word no matter where it is coming from. We will miss God. The sad thing about this is that sometimes our blessing or a solution we need and are waiting for from God is in others. This made me think who have I refuse to give time to listen to, have deemed as useless, and/or just think they can’t help me or have nothing to offer me?

I also learned that if a person does not believe what you have to offer is of any importance, you can offer and/or talk to you are blue in the face and no one will benefit. You will be exhausted and the person will show no gain from it. The individual’s heart is closed off from you and if God sent you, they are not open to God’s move. It will be a complete waste of time if God does not open the person’s heart or mind. It is like going up against a brick wall. Nothing is getting through to them. I thought perhaps that is why Jesus said when you present the Gospel if they don’t hear shake the dust of your feet.

And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Matthew 10:14

In other words, keep it moving. He knows they will not hear or forbear and He want us to move on to the next. The decision to move on can be tricky though. We can’t take it upon ourselves to stop helping, offering, and/or talking. We must be led by God to stop when He says stop regardless of what we see happening in the natural. When God says to stop, He has not given up on helping and saving the person. Maybe He just choose to go another route to reach the individual. I can’t say I fully understand it all.

There is much to say about the matters of faith, expectation, receiving, openness, gratitude, and appreciation and I don’t know it all. One thing I do know is it works vertically (between us and God) and horizontally (in relationship with others). When I believe, have a healthy expectation of others, am open to receive, and are grateful, I do notice most of the time they have something to offer, even if it isn’t what I may have totally wanted, it is usually what I need and of some value. Even more so, this is all the time with God. I want my heart to be open to God, have a healthy expectation, and to be able to receive from God through whatever means He chooses.

Prayer: Father God, thanks for being in my life. Please help me to be open to you, walk in faith, leave off unbelief, expect you to come through, and show gratitude and appreciation. I ask that whoever you choose to bless me, I will receive them and not shut them out or close my heart, mind, and hands to the individual. I pray that I would humbly be open to receive from you through anyone you choose. I pray that I will not look down on anyone, render no man as useless, and be willing to receive all that you want to give me regardless of my preferences of any sort. Father God please forgive me for the times I have slighted and closed my heart off from you and shunned others you want to use to bless my life. I pray to always be open to receive your exceeding, abundant, bounty. Father thanks for all you have done, do, and will do In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

God Bless You, Thanks for Reading!

Samantha Ann Waring-Jolicoeur

 

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