Watch Out for Open Doors!
Okay, I have to admit something to you, but promise me that you won't laugh. Promise? The other night, I ran into a door. (Hey, you promised!) Really, though, I did. I woke up in the middle of the night to answer the call of nature, stumbled around the bed, then the next thing I know, there was a resounding thud and excruciating pain. I cried out, both in pain and frustration. The whole thing was loud enough that even Jason woke up and immediately asked, "Are you okay? Please tell me that was your foot that hit the door." He knows I hate walking around barefoot, so I usually put my house shoes on. Unfortunately, I didn't this time. Not that it would have mattered because I didn't hit the door with my foot. I hit it with my face, and I have the bruises to prove it.
Go ahead and laugh. Yes, I'm the poor girl who walked face-first into a door. Ha ha! Although, in my defense, it wasn't entirely my fault. The problem was that the door was only partially opened. It was opened enough for me to see beyond it, so I naturally assumed that it was open all the way. But it wasn't. It was only halfway opened, which means it was also halfway closed--a deadly trap in the darkness of night. Honestly, I don't know which one of us left the door in such a precarious position, but I think we've both learned our lesson. If we're going to leave the door open, it's going to be open all the way. It's just better for my poor face that way!
In life, we must be wary of open doors. Yes, sometimes God opens a door with every intention of allowing us to walk through, but an open door isn't always an indication of God's will. Sometimes, in the darkness of night, what seems like an open door may be a deadly trap, just waiting for you to run into it. You think it's open because you can see beyond it, but trust me on this one, test it out first. Pray about the door you're facing. Ask God to make His will perfectly clear. As the Bible says, Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (I John 4:1)
Going through an open door in perfect submission to the will of God is a great thing. Running into an open door because you're stumbling around in the darkness is not. Beware. As the old saying goes, "Not everything that glitters is gold." Likewise, not every door that appears to be open is the right door for you. The Lord will lead you through the proper doors--doors that no man can shut. Trust in that. Your face will thank you!
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. - Revelation 3:7-8