my voice and opens the door, I will come in and
eat with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
Little five year old boys don’t usually want to play with girls putting on makeup – unless it is boring because there are no other boys around. That changes everything. At least it did for Jude, my grandson.
My four granddaughters had locked themselves in the bathroom and were trying on all my makeup and giggling as they put lipstick and eye shadow on each other. On any other day Jude would not have cared because he and big brother Noah would have been playing games on their iPods.
But Noah was at a friend’s house and Jude was alone . . . and outnumbered. So he decided to see if the girls would let him play.
I heard him knocking – softly at first and then harder and harder – but no one would open the door. After a few minutes I heard his precious little voice pleading: “Hey girlies, let me in. I want to play, too. You can even put makeup on me.” But the door remained shut.
I looked up to see Jude coming toward me with a pencil and paper. “I need you to write a note for me, Grandma, so I can put it under the door.” He cupped his hands around my ear, whispering his message. My heart nearly broke in two as I wrote the following words on his paper. “It’s Jude. Please let me come in.”
Revelation 3:20 also speaks of one standing at a door knocking and calling to those inside to open it. That person is Jesus. How incredible is that! Christ himself is standing outside His own church, asking permission to come in.
It is hard for me to comprehend the patience that Jesus has as He waits for us to open the door of our hearts and allow Him to enter. Ever gracious and loving, He would never barge in and demand to be a part of our lives. So why don’t we answer?
Perhaps we are too busy “putting on makeup” that the world has to offer and ignoring the knock and the voice of the One who longs to replace our temporary with His permanent.
If you are the one inside the locked door, my prayer today is that you would listen for the knock at the door of your heart and the voice of the Savior as He calls “Please let me come in.”
Father, forgive me for being so tuned in to the world that I do not listen to your voice or your gentle knocking on my heart to come in to my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
R.A.P. it up . . .
Reflect
Do you often find that you get so involved with the “noise” of everyday life that you do not hear the Lord speaking to your heart?
What are some of the “noises” of life that compete with the voice of the Lord for your attention?
Application
Plan ten minutes somewhere in your day for you to sit quietly and listen for the Lord’s voice speaking to your heart.
Journal whatever comes to mind. Look up one Scripture that addresses His encouragement to you.
Power Verses
Revelation 3:20 (NIV) “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.”
Hebrews 3:8 (NIV) “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…”
Isaiah 55:3 (NIV) “Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live…”
(For more of Nancy Hughes' writing, check out her blog, Encouragement from the War Room.)
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