He has set an open door before you !
Rev.3:8, ‘“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, [f]and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.’
It’s a known and experienced fact that when God opens a door, no man can close it and when He closes a door, no man can open it. Here through apostle of John, the Lord spoke to Philadelphia church that the door of salvation which the Lord had opened for them would not be closed by any man, for they had kept His Word and had not denied His name. In our lives, we face closed and open doors from time to time. And being God’s children, we learn that when He closes and opens the door, He has a definite purpose behind it. Let us learn about a few of them from the scriptures.
61 Samuel 1:6, ‘ And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb.’ The Lord had closed Hannah’s womb. No medication nor any other human help could open it. It crushed Hannah’s heart so much so that the love of her husband could not comfort her. Peninnah’s mockings deepened the wounds even more. But Hannah did not settle there. She refused to be settled in the comfort zone of her husband’s love. She wept much. She was broken hearted. She went to the temple of God and poured out her heart. She submitted herself and even the fruit of her womb for the Lord’s glory. She might not have done this before. Had Hannah been blessed with children like Peninnah, they would grow up like any other children in this world. But God wanted a person who would purify the temple of God, which was corrupted by the ones who had lost the spiritual insight. Hence, He closed her womb. Hannah’s deeper submission caused the Lord to open her womb and bless her and the fruit of her body. Our deeper submission to the Lord can open the closed doors before us.
Gen.7:16, ‘ So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.’ God instructed Noah to build the ark as per the measurements and plan He gave. Noah built the ark skillfully and perfectly just as He wanted it to be. Even the door of the ark was built by Noah’s hands. He knew very well as to how to close and open it. Yet before the rains, the Lord shut the door. He did not give this authority to Noah. He had a purpose behind it. After the rains and the floods which destroyed all the living beings across the globe, the flood waters remained over the earth for 150 days. Gen.8:1, ‘Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark….’. There was a silence from God for these 150 days. But Noah’s heart remained firm in the Lord even while the ark was swept across hither and thither by the waves of the flood waters. Gen.8:4 says that the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat on the 7th month. Gen.8:5 says that the tops of the mountains were seen in the 10th month. So for a person looking on the earth in the 7th month would not see the ark resting on the tops of mount Ararat till the receding waters finally revealed it in the 10th month. The Lord had perfectly steered the ark and made it rest on the mountain tops, where it could not be hidden from anyone around. Even when we face closed doors, let us realize that our trust in the Lord is being tested and is being built up. Let us give the complete control over our lives to the Lord and see Him steer it to the unseen mountain tops, where His glory will be seen by all. In Gen.8:16, God asks Noah to go out of the ark. He who had closed the door opened it. Gen.8:20 speaks about Noah building an altar and offering burnt offering to the Lord. He worshipped God on the mountain tops. He had built and entered into the ark in probably a plain place but finally came out of it on mountain tops. The door of the ark was closed in the plains but it opened on mountain tops. As Noah’s trust in God was built up inside the ark behind the closed doors, his physical location also shifted to a higher place. Let not the closed doors discourage us. It’s molding us into more and more like Him and in the process shifting us to higher blessings.
Lk.11:5-7, ‘And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’?’ Here we see another closed door. But the friend does not stop knocking the door till it is opened. For this knocking friend, the hunger of his friend who had come to him was greater than all the reasons expressed for not opening the door. The persistent knocking shows the untiring prayers. Its easy to grow weary in prayers when the answers seem to delay. But the Lord wants us to grow in prayers, for which He closes certain doors. We need spiritual strength to continue praying. Its not possible to grow in prayers with mental or physical strength. The more we depend on Him for His strength, He faithfully strengthens us. Lk.11:9, ‘So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.’ As we continue to ask the Lord in prayers, He enables us to seek His will for same. This enables us to submit more of ourselves to our Lord. Knocking represents the need in an explicit manner. When seeking assures us about His will for any matter, knocking involves more confidence. V 13 says that its God’s will to bless us with His Spirit. Hence we are confident that our knocking the doors of heaven for same will never go in vain. The closed doors enables us to seek His will and to grow in prayers.
Jn.20:1, ‘Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.’ Mary knew that the tomb was closed and sealed by the Roman authorities. She knew that she could not roll it away. Yet she went to the tomb early, while it was still dark. What could have made her go ? Jn.20:15, ‘She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”’ Here we see the heart which made Mary go to the tomb in spite of seeing all the impossibilities of seeing an open tomb. She had come to anoint the body with sweet spices as per the Jewish tradition. She had a heart, burning in passion, to serve Christ which the seemingly closed tomb could not stop. She was ready to carry Him away. A woman carrying the body of a man was not a simple task. She was ready to pay the cost to serve Him. Surely the Lord saw this heart even before she set her steps from her house towards the tomb. And she got the blessedness to see the stone rolled away and the glory of resurrected Christ with her own eyes. Even when the closed doors challenge our lives time and again, if our passion to serve Christ and willingness to pay the price for same continues, no closed door can remain closed for long. The Lord Himself will open them for His glory.
Mt.25:10, ‘And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.’ The door was shut for the virgins who did not take oil in their vessels. This door of grace and salvation is open now. All that is happening around is clearly announcing that it will be closed soon and any time. Let us not fall asleep spiritually and watch over own souls diligently. Every day is yet one more opportunity to receive more of His oil i.e Holy Spirit. We need more of His presence with every passing day to be prepared for His coming. Mt.25:13, ‘ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour [b]in which the Son of Man is coming.’
The Lord closes certain doors to mold us, purify us and to grow us in His grace. He opens the closed doors for His glory. Even as we face closed and open doors time to time, let us be alert and watchful as to never miss this door of salvation which is open now and which will close anytime.
God bless us all. (http://thebrokenbread.wordpress.com/)
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