God’s Open Door

 

1554975554024_image.jpgIn the ancient Macedonian city of Philippi, Paul and Silas found themselves at the epicenter of an earthquake that changed not only their own his lives; but the future of Christianity in the West. Previous to their travel there; Paul had a dream of a Macedonian man calling for help and so had obediently left a successful work  of planting churches throughout Asia minor, Cyprus and Syria. But not long after going to Macedonia, Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten and thrown into prison.

If you are anything like me, you might have started moaning or at best patiently enduring the pain and humiliation of that day. Should I have been in Paul’s place I could have complained saying; “God: You called me here and this is the thanks I get!” But no! …In fact Paul and Silas were singing hymns at midnight when suddenly an earthquake shook the prison so hard that the doors swung open and their chains fell to the ground. Often we pray for an open door and in my mind that is most definitely an open door!

If that had happened to me while chained in a dungeon I am pretty sure that I along with most of you would have been half-way home before slowing down long enough to catch our breath. But the funniest thing about that night is that the open door let the jailer in; not the prisoner out!

So no matter the problem or situation we find ourselves in today may this remind us that God’s doors are more about entrances than exits. God is working not so much to get us out of things as He is bringing others to us so that we can point them to Him and together go out through His open door!

Go Sit On Your Bed!

“Sit on your bed till your father gets home!” Was one of the most terror filled ways for me to spend an afternoon when I was ten years old. I sometimes wasn’t quite sure what I had done wrong and was even less certain of what punishment lay in store. Though often I deserved whatever spanking awaited me at my dad’s return this is not what God has in mind for our relationship with Him. He is not busy doing important stuff at the office and hoping we were good while he was away.

Instead our heavenly dad stayed home to spend time with us today. He also has planned out in advance a family adventure vacation. He can’t wait to go out with us and help us discover amazing things on our journey. He challenges us to think in new ways and learn to do new stuff. But our becoming a new man (or woman) is not about trying harder, running faster or jumping higher. In fact the new person we are asked to be is not about us at all.

Only Jesus is the true holy and righteous new man. Only He can be in us who He is calling us to be! So don’t worry about sitting on your bed till God gets home. Instead go outside and wait in the driveway because our father’s greatest delight is to come home for us give us the blessings of heaven!