HomeWord - September 24, 2012

Standing at the Door

This devotional was written by Jim Burns

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. —Revelation 3:20

I have a picture in my mind whenever I hear Revelation 3:20. It is a picture of Jesus standing at a door knocking, but the door can only be opened from the inside because there is no doorknob on the outside of the door.

When Jesus knocks at the door of our heart, we basically have four options:

1. Reject Him. There are some people who have turned their backs on God. God says, “I love you,” and they say, “I want nothing to do with You.” A young college student once told me, “I reject Jesus Christ.” It broke my heart, and I have a feeling it broke God’s heart too.

2. Ignore Him. The people who do this think that they have heard it all. They know the words of the gospel but the message goes in one ear and out the other. Some of these people say, “Later, LORD.” They make excuses such as “I’m yours, God, as soon as I get out of school or break up with my boyfriend or get married or get that promotion” or whatever it is that rules their hearts. The excuses just keep on coming.

3. Appease Him. We all know people like this. They’re all around us. They go through the motions but really don’t allow Christ to change their lives. They often go to church. They sit, observe, say the right stuff at the right time, and then do nothing about it. Here’s what Christ said about them (and these aren’t pleasant words):

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. —Revelation 3:16

4. Obey Him. I hope you fall into this category. People like this, although not perfect, fully desire to live for God. These Christians have made Jesus the master of their lives. He is their Savior and LORD. They say, “I’m yours, LORD, and I want to obey you.”

Here's a great promise for those who choose option #4.

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. —John 14:21

What option have you chosen?

GOING DEEPER:

1. What is the spiritual principle found in John 14:21?

2. Which part of your life do you see Jesus still knocking on?

FURTHER READING:

Psalms 30:1-5