Walking through the Open Door

I probably spend too much time wondering about what's behind many closed doors. I wonder if the closed door hides something that would be a blessing to me. You know what I'm talking bout. What is the closed door? It may be the school that hasn't accepted you for admission but you still want to apply for the fifth time. What is the closed door? It may be that special someone who has made it clear that there is no future between the two of you. What is the closed door? It may be on the job where the promotion that you desperately wanted eludes you.

But more than this, we see the same doors open to others who seemingly have have less talent then we have. We wonder if they are smarter than they look, but it seems like they have less brains than we have. Finally, we note that they have less ability and experience than we have. It can hurt to see the closed doors to us being opened to someone else. It can be draining and sometimes it feels like we are mostly banging our heads against closed doors.

Closed Doors are Blessings

But as we think on this subject we must recognize that closed doors are blessings. Humanity can't do all that we want to do. We are limited and finite. We can't do everything. Closed doors can help us determine what is really important to us and what is not important. If every door was opened we might simply go into the first open door without doing the real work of determining who we are and where we should be.

Closed Doors help us Determine God's Will

Closed doors also push us to determine what is God's will. Many of us would almost blindly walk through all the doors if they all stood open. It is a blessing that God sometimes closes doors that we shouldn't enter. It is a blessing when God shuts a door. That door may not have taken you to the place that God wants you to be at. Yes, God closes doors and it helps us to really agonize with God over what is God's will for us.

In addition, closed doors can help us appreciate the open door when it comes. If all the doors were opened we wouldn't fully appreciate the great blessing of an open door.

God told the church of Philadelphia that God has set before them an open door. Yes closed doors are a blessing, but a God given open door is the greatest blessing. My call to you today is to stop fretting over the closed doors and walk on through the open door that God has placed in front of us.

Following Jesus into the Holiest

The early Adventists saw in this a reference to the Second Apartment Ministry of Jesus Christ. Here we are called to go on further into the most intimate relationship with Jesus. Stop settling for any door, go into God's open door, the door that leads into the throne-room where we can now boldly enter. (Hebrews 4:16). Praise God for the open door that God has given to us and praise God for this open door that leads into the throne room of God where we can obtain mercy. Let us follow Jesus into the special work that we are called to live into today.