Inviting God into Your Heart - The Crosswalk Devotional - June 19
Inviting God into Your Heart
By Alexis A. Goring
“Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me.” – Revelation 3:20 (HCSB)
There’s a famous painting that I first saw many years ago that still resonates with me today. The painter portrays Jesus Christ standing outside of a door, knocking on it and waiting to be let in. However, there is no knob on the door for Him to open it. Only the person inside of the home can open the door and let Him in.
According to Wikipedia, “The Light of the World (1851-1854) is an allegorical painting by the English Pre-Raphaelite artist William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) representing the figure of Jesus preparing to knock on an overgrown and long-unopened door, illustrating Revelation 3:20.” Hunt said, “I painted the picture with what I thought, unworthy though I was, to be divine command, and not simply a good subject." He also mentioned that the lack of handle represented “the obstinately shut mind.”
How many of us have shut Jesus out of not only our mind, but our heart?
Over the years, I’ve heard these popular reasons why people do not choose Jesus. I spoke with a young woman who believes you only live once, so you need to party hard and have fun. She told me that Christianity just isn’t her “thing.” An older woman told me that one of her Christian friends “finally” stopped talking to her about Jesus and beating her over her head with the Bible. She was offended because she said that she held her own beliefs with the right to think whatever she wants. Pop culture also says to live your own truth and be the charter of your own destiny.
While all of these takes sound solid and reasonable to a point, they could not be further from the truth. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. And the only way to Heaven is through Him (John 14:6). But Jesus is gentle and kind, so He will never force His way into your heart and life. Just like Hunt’s painting of Revelation 3:20 shows us, we have to invite Him in.
This matters because this world is not our forever home. Human history on Earth will end and eternity in Heaven will begin for all who let Jesus in and decided to follow Him there. We are all sinners in need of a Savior, but the good news is we have Jesus to fill that role. Meanwhile, we cannot successfully navigate everything in this life without a Guide. The good news is that God is willing and ready to lead us through our journey and help us survive all the figurative storms we encounter. We have hope when we have Him!
There’s a beautiful song by Cheri Keaggy called “Part of Your Story.” She sings that Jesus wants to be part of our life story, but we often don’t think we need Him. Yet, He continues to shower us with blessings! He wakes us up every morning. He sends sunshine to brighten our days and rain to water the grass. He’s given us a wide variety of beautiful flowers for us to admire and lovingly share with each other. Yet, the greatest demonstration of God’s love is the sacrifice of His Son (Jesus Christ) who thinks we’re worth dying for (John 3:16).
The gift of salvation is completely free! There’s nothing you nor I can do to earn it or deserve it (Ephesians 2:8-9). All we need to do is open the door and let Jesus into our heart. He wants to spend eternity with us! That’s the whole point.
Jesus wants to spend time with you. He knows you and wants you to know Him. Only He can offer you an abundant life (John 10:10). If you let Him, He will be your most faithful friend, advocate, counselor, brother, and ultimately your Savior who is the bridge between Earth and Heaven.
Will you let God in and allow His glory to change your story for the better?
Intersecting Faith & Life:
If you haven’t invited Jesus to be your personal Savior and truest friend, what’s the hesitation? How does it feel to know that the Creator of the Universe loves you and wants to be part of your life story?
Further Reading:
Matthew 11:28-29
Psalm 73:23-26
Isaiah 30:18
Micah 6:8
Colossians 3:2
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Adene Sanchez
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Related Resource: How Habit Stacking Will Help You Discipline Your Mind, Body, & Spirit
The process of success is not hidden. It is on display for anyone to see. However, it is a daily grind that requires a great deal of work that is tedious and often uncomfortable. Successful people simply do the work. They embrace the grind and everything that comes with it. Ultimately, successful people understand this truth - Hope doesn’t produce change. Habits do! Everyone has the desire, but many lack the necessary discipline! That’s why today on The Built Different Podcast we have a very special guest who understands the importance of discipline and habits at a very high level. Don’t just focus on changing the thoughts in your head and the habits in your life, but also allow God to transform your heart from the inside out. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to The Built Different Podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube so you never miss an episode!
