Ding Dong, Ding Dong, it’s not Avon calling!
Over the last month, my doorbell has rung more than a few times, seemingly on its own. Late at night, early morning and each time, no one was at the door. Initially, it made me ‘feel’ nervous, then annoyed. I turned it off at the mains, switched it back on, unplugged it, then plugged it in again, hoping it was just a glitch. I really didn’t want to replace the whole unit!
I prayed over it and rebuked it, all in the name of Jesus! It seemed to right itself; job done. So, I didn’t give it another thought. The devil wasn’t going to mess with me!
Recently, I attended a prayer training event in Liverpool: wonderful worship, great speakers, and the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully throughout the day. Travelling home, I felt energised and encouraged with a buzz within my spirit.
Around 9.30 pm that evening, Ding dong, ding dong, my doorbell sounded. I went to the door; no one was there. I felt annoyed, as I was working on something that I felt was important. Hmm, I thought that I’d dealt with that!
The following day, I met a friend for lunch; we had a lovely time together and after the meal we decided to sit in my car and pray for one another prior to going home. My friend prayed, asking God to give me more experiences of his suddenlies. As she was praying for me, my mind went back to the mysterious doorbell incident, so I shared it with her.
She reminded me of the story of Samuel (1 Samuel chapters 1-3), who was under the care of Eli the priest. Samuel had been dedicated to God from birth by his mother Hannah and given into Eli’s care as a young child.
‘And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.’ Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli.
Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visisons were quite uncommon. One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. Suddenly the Lord called out, "Samuel!"
“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.
Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”
Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”
Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
Then Eli realised it was the Lord who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed. And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”1 Samuel 3:1-10
As I was driving home, I began to think about what she shared with me.
That night I said in my heart to the Holy Spirit, ‘If that’s you, ringing my doorbell, will you please do it again tonight so that I’ll know it’s you?’
Well, at 12.57 am my doorbell went ding dong, ding dong. Surprise, surprise, no one was there. I got back into bed, smiling, joyfully acknowledging it was Him, while telling him I was listening. He didn’t say anything to me; I believe that he was answering my desire to know and respond to his presence. In all honesty, I was so tired, and without his supernatural help I couldn’t stay awake. He knows me so well!
It’s so easy to become familiar, take for granted the way the Holy Spirit speaks to us or moves upon us. The Holy Spirit would come upon me like a heaviness that sat upon me. The weight of his presence. Something that I could feel. I didn’t have to discern it; I knew it was his presence. He would often do this while I was sitting on my couch, watching TV or working on my computer. Stuff that had no spiritual significance. I would stop what I was doing, turn the TV off and sit in his presence; sometimes he would talk to me, show me something, or just sit with me. It was familiar to me. When I read the Bible or pray, I expect to feel his presence, hear or see something, but it’s the suddenness of his unexpected presence that thrills me the most. It can happen in the most unexpected places. The bathroom is an interesting place for encounters of the God kind!
Nothing compares to his presence. The things of earth do become strangely dim! However, life has a way of distracting us. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit never forgets or overlooks our heart’s cry concerning the things or people who are important to us. How many times do we forget what prayers we have prayed, only to realise some time later that the need has been met, or the prophetic word has come to pass?
I realised that I had settled into the familiar. There was a time when, upon hearing the doorbell in those circumstances, I would have thought, ‘Could this be you, Holy Spirit?’ Had my spiritual eyes and ears become dull? Had my discernment become weak? Or was the Holy Spirit revealing himself to me in a new way? What did my ears need to respond to? Or was it just the pizza that I’d eaten the night before?
Have you ever had anyone tell you that you’re too heavenly-minded to be of any earthly good? Some people see the demonic everywhere while others struggle to see God anywhere!
Let’s not be complacent or settle for the safety and comfort of the familiar. Instead, when the unusual presents itself, let’s be like Moses and turn aside to look or at least ask questions.
“One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”
Moses wasn’t in a good place, geographically or spiritually. He was still running away from the Lord’s presence. He was in the backside of the desert. How many of us have known that experience? There was a time in my life that I took up residence in the valley of Baca (a place of weeping). Psalm 84:6
A place we are to pass through, not a place to pitch a tent! When we turn aside to look or listen, we will experience the Holy Spirit.
“When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
He’s watching, and he knows your name, and he calls you by name.
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but curiosity towards the Holy Spirit brings great rewards. Don’t let fear or doubt rob you of an encounter with God. He’s doing a new thing in your heart. Today’s familiarity won’t sustain you for the adventures of tomorrow!
“Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the Badlands.”
Isaiah 43:19
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