The sound of a closing door

The sound of a closing door is not one we pay much attention to. A saying most of us have heard is, ‘When one door closes another will open’. Then there is the scripture Revelation 3:20 Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with me. These words encourage and give hope.

 

We open and closes doors every day so the sound of a door closing means nothing to you,  yet there are those that it breaks their heart. It can represent loss, an ending, or rejection. Add the sound of a lock being turned it can make one feel hopeless. That they are not only shut out but that there is no hope of that door ever being opened again.(Which is not always a bad thing because there are some doors that not only need to be shut and locked, but the key needs to be thrown away.) The pain of loss or rejection can amplify the simple sound of a closing door. Then there is the sound of a door slamming shut. Which is usually done in anger, meaning one person has turned their back on another in anger and not just walked out but stormed out leaving the other behind. The one who stormed out may feel like they cannot return because they were the one to leave and no matter what their reason was at the time they may feel guilt and even fear because now they are the one who may be rejected. The one left behind feel not only rejected and hurt, but they may fear that when the door slammed that was the end, and that is not their desire. Loosing loved ones to death or an end of a relationship can leave a lasting memory that the sound of a closing door can reopen the wound that the sound of a closing door can bring.

I had not thought of this before, but while sitting on my porch I heard the sound of a neighbor shutting their door. A sound that I hear often living in an apartment because neighbors are coming and going daily. Yet this morning when I heard the sound it seemed amplified and I even heard the sound of the lock being turned. I don’t know why it made me stop and think, but it did. I go in and out my door multiple times through out my day and when I am on the phone I know the person on the other end can hear the opening and shutting of my door so I try to close the door quietly so I do not interrupt what they are saying to me. Yet today I am thinking of all the ways the sound of what a door makes can mean. For some it can mean security, (This makes me think of the song ‘Shut the door, keep out the devil’) and for another it can feel like they are all alone, shut out and not welcome.

For the ones who feel rejected and shut out there is One who will never leave you or forsake you. He knocks on your door patiently waiting to be let in. He is the one I mentioned earlier in Revelation 3;20.

Now there is the sound of a door opening. Think about how a child reacts when the door opens and it is their Daddy who just came in. They run to him joyfully and yell ‘Daddy’s home’ and they jump into his arms.

Now the sound of the door closing behind him means they are safe and they have no reason to fear. For when they are with their Daddy they are not afraid, but are happy and secure. For it is written that perfect love casts out all fear. The love of our Heavenly Father, our Abba Daddy is available to all who receive Him, and Jesus is the door we enter to get to Him.

God bless you and keep you in His perfect peace

29. Dear Woman,(Elijah and the widow)

Dear Woman,

(Elijah and the widow)

     My Dear Woman, I know that you are a widow with a son to care for, and that you have only enough oil and flour to make not even a meal for you and your son. You know you do not have anything else coming to you to supply the needs of you and your son. You feel hopeless and that this is the end.

      So when a man approaches you and asks you to feed him do not worry.  I understand that you will think, but this is all that I have left. Yet in spite of this, you will make him the small cake he will ask for. I know that you feel hopeless and that there is nothing left to live for and nothing left to lose. So when you bless My prophet Elijah, I will bless you.

     You will give the last of all you have and be empty, but I will fill you with more than what the body needs, I will give you hope and a future. The rest of your days will be blessed. Even though you felt unloved and abandoned, you will give unselfishly and this is an act of love. Give when you have nothing, and then to put another before yourself. You are loved, for I love you with an everlasting love. Live a blessed life. I will provide for all of your needs.

Love,

Lord God Almighty

Read

1 Kings 17

13.Letters from God (fictional letters based on people in the Bible) Dear Judah

Dear Judah,

     I need to talk to you about how you mistreated Tamar your daughter in-law. She married your oldest son Er. He was struck down by God. She was not to blame; it was his actions that caused his death. Yet she had not had a child by him when he died. By Levite law she was to marry his brother so that Er would still have a child through her. Yet Onan married her but refuse her the child that was her right to have. So then he lost his life.

      Out of fear you sent her away to her family, with a promise that when your youngest son came of age they would marry. Yet you did not keep to your word. This was wrong. Three times she was kept from the blessing promised to her. When your wife died and you went to Timnah, to be with the sheep shearers. You met a woman there that you thought to be a temple prostitute. You went to bed with her and she conceived a child. You had left her with your ring, cord and staff with a promise to send her payment. She was not there when you did try to fulfill the promise. So you kept this to yourself, so that no one would know of what you had done.

     When Tamar was found being pregnant you sentenced her to death. Yet the child she carried is yours. When she produced your belongings, you realized the wrong you had done to her. She never should have had to seek after you for the blessing that was rightfully hers. Even though you had tried, you did not keep the blessing from her because she went after it. What you had refused to give her I gave to her and I blessed her. You know her to be a righteous woman. So you made this right and acknowledged the wrong done to her and found her innocent. Do not again keep a blessing from her or anyone else, if it is a blessing that is to come through you, then give it. Do not think of the cost on your part. Think only of the joy your obedience will bring. Then you too will be blessed.

Love,

Your Lord and Almighty God

 

Read

Genesis chapter 38

Letters from God (fictional letters based on people in the Bible) Dear Sarai

Dear Sarai,

     Where is your faith? You turned to the works of the flesh and lost faith in Me. You sent your maid servant to your husband for the purpose of conceiving the child I promised for you to give birth to. My promise was for you not for Hagar. When you did this, you caused your husband and Hagar to commit adultery.

     When you saw that you had done wrong you did not repent. Instead you hurt Me further by punishing Hagar for your sin. She had only done what you told her to do. Your command caused her to sin, for she is your servant and could not refuse you. She too carries the weight of this sin. Yet you look down on her and punish her because of your jealousy. She will give birth to one of Abram’s son. This was not my plan. Her child is not the one I promised.

     Your lack of patience and your doubts in what I can do caused you to act on your own power and you did not wait for Me. The child I promised for you to have, I will still give to you. The two will be divided, and cause much strife. This too is a result of your lack of faith in Me. Now because of your decision to give Hagar to Abram, instead of one nation coming out of Abram there will be two. Why is it that you chose to do for yourself what I was going to give you?

     Did you forget that I Am, your Lord and God? Do you not believe in My power? Is your age greater than mine? Do you know what I know? Dear woman I have always been with you. I was with you in Egypt, when the fears of your husband almost caused you to commit adultery with Pharaoh. Did I not protect you then? Did I not keep you from your husband’s sin? You remained pure and untouched by Pharaoh, and he delivered you back to your husband. Yet now you behave like My word is not true.

    This hurts Me deeper than you will ever understand. Yet I will forgive you. The child I promised will still come. Your name will no longer be Sarai; you will now be called Sarah. Your son will be named Isaac. Now my dear woman trust in Me, the Lord your God with all your heart and believe. I do not lie. I tell you the truth. I love you Sarah and I will be with you always.

Love,

Your Lord God

 

Read

Genesis 16, 17:15-16

Vows and Promises (keeping your word) Deuteronomy 23:21-23

We need to take care what we speak. Especially when we make a vow. When promising anything to God or in His name we have made a covenant which we should take care to never break. In society today people enter into marriage making vows they do not expect to keep. They even sign Prenuptial Agreements before saying there ‘I do’s’ meaning that they are really saying I don’t. What they are really saying is, ‘I promise to be with you as long as I feel like you are doing what I want you to do, but the second you make one mistake I am out of here.’  People are known not to keep their word. They may think they mean what they say at the time they say they will do something, but the moment an excuse comes they use that excuse to get out of what they said. Justifying to themselves a reason to break their word, without feeling accountable for breaking their promise. Unfortunately people tend to do the same thing with their relationship with Jesus. They make a commitment to Him and then break it when things get too hard. Then we say I believe in God, but then we do not obey His word. (James 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! / Mark 1:23-24 While Jesus was in the synagogue, a man was there that had an evil spirit {from the devil} inside him. The man shouted, “Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are—God’s Holy One!” (ERV)) Our word becomes empty without worth when we can not be trusted to keep our word.

Deuteronomy 23:21-23  “When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you. “However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. “You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God, what you have promised.

Thankfully God is not like man. When God makes a promise He keeps it! You can trust God will do what He says He will do.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? 

God is faithful and His word is truth. People will fail you. They will lie to you. They will walk out on you. This list goes on, but trust in God and he will never leave or forsake you. He is always with you if you let Him in to your heart and to your life. That is why marriage is so important to Him. He calls the church His Bride. We are His church not a building, but you and me became His Bride the moment we confessed Jesus as our Savior and repented of our sins. He is the faithful husband. Unfortunately even when we accept Jesus into our lives we become unfaithful like Hosea’s wife Gomer. We look at the world and get distracted. Then once we are distracted we get off course and walk away from the One who is faithful to the one who deceives. Thankfully God is faithful and forgiving. He shows us mercy and love no matter how many times we break His heart. (‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ John 3:16)

So be careful about making promises or vows. This is not only for marriage vows, but if you say you are going to do something do it. Don’t make excuses when you don’t, but be accountable when you do break your word. Maybe if we dealt more with the consequence of our broken word, we would be less likely to make promises we don’t intend to keep.