Receive your believing - Romans 12:2

            "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by
             the renewing of your mind..."

  I just read a post on Facebook by Rick Renner. He was talking about that we receive what we believe. That is a fantastic point. It is so obvious that it's nearly blinding. If we don't believe for (fill in the blank) then how can we expect to even see 'it' when it is in front of us? He goes on to say that when our eyes are downcast and our mind is consumed with what we don't have that we aren't in a position to see. Absolutely!

  I suspect we all might go through these times - we often called them spiritual deserts. Though I think deserts need to be considered differently. The point that IF we are going through these times, we don't have to buy a house there and reside. What we need to focus on is found in Romans 12:2 - be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And no one is going to do the work of renewing your mind except you. No magic wand, no someone else doing it for you - your responsibility. And if it was all that simple, we wouldn't be instructed as many times as we are that it is critical. But it is also something we CAN do or we wouldn't be told to do it.

  You can believe. But you don't have to receive. Why would anyone do this? Good question... but we do. We believe but we don't always see the manifestation and thus, don't receive. When it comes to receiving our believing we too often a: expect what we want to manifest in a particular way and time and/or b: don't see our answer. Remember what God says: "Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?" (Isaiah 50: 2)  Too often we catch ourselves in thinking whatever we need has to always be 'delivered' in a way that it always has. Not necessarily. Perhaps God is saying: "Behold I will do a new thing..." (Isaiah 43: 19).

  I always like the story of Noah. God spoke to Noah to build an ark. Noah didn't know: what an ark was, what an ark did, what was 'rain'. However, he believed and followed the plan God gave him for building the ark. And for the next 70 years, though Noah heard nothing else from God, he persevered even with the ridicule of those around him. After following God's instructions, the rains came. And then the rainbow. I think this mindset is an important reminder of what we need to do to receive. Believe. Do what is asked. Keep on keeping on. And see... But this way of thinking requires us to be transformed, to renew our mind.