Glimpses of Truth
Enter Those Swinging Doors
I remember when my youngest child, David Aaron, was eleven months old. He was crawling everywhere, into everything, and just taking his first steps. During that time, my family was living at New Life Youth Home with 12 teens–a BIG family.
David’s favorite toy at eleven months was a door. That’s right, just a plain old door. Turn your head and there he went to the nearest door. He’d swing it back and forth, back and forth. It didn’t take much to occupy him.
He’s grown now, and has other doors to deal with. The door, which was once a plaything, has now become an entrance into a new world for him. He, like all of us, has many decisions to make, choices to consider, roads to choose. He, like all of us, needs God’s presence, God’s protection and God’s people to help point and lead him through the many doors before him.
There’s a story about a door in the book of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 1-13. It’s a parable about 10 virgins who were waiting for a bridegroom. Five of them were wise and prepared for his arrival, but five of them were foolish and waited until it was too late to prepare. They went out to buy oil for their lamps and missed the wedding. Matthew 25:10 simply states, “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” Opportunities do not last forever.
A similar thought is expressed in Genesis 7:16 about Noah and his family entering the ark: “And they that went in … and the Lord shut him in.” God shut the door behind Noah, and no one else could get in. Open doors will ultimately close.
We have a peculiar way of evaluating life sometimes. We have the idea that it is worse to do what we should not than to neglect doing what we should. But neglected opportunities result in lost opportunity.
The sin of the priest and Levite in Luke 10 was that they did nothing. They passed by on the other side, numb to human need, and left the injured man to the Good Samaritan.
Neglect is serious. Neglect of Christ’s salvation is fatal. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” Hebrews 2:3. Neglect leaves the door closed forever.
The Scripture calls us to decide for or against Christ
Now is the day of salvation and service. Jesus says. “Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20. He will not stand there knocking forever.
If you have never received Jesus Christ as your Savior, receive Him now. If you have received Christ, bring glory to God now.
Unentered doors close.
