What color is your front door? Did you go look to answer the question? Mine is red, one of my favorite colors. We usually repaint our door a bright color once we move into a new home. So, I think this desire goes back to my Irish roots. When you walk around a city like Dublin, you notice the doors painted a variety of brilliant hues. And, this tradition also shows a sense of pride for the homeowner and a chance to outshine their neighbor. As you walk past a row of houses, you might encounter as many as ten different colored doors. I even have a poster of the doors of Dublin hanging in a bedroom.
Our Doors
Most of our homes contain at least one door. And, we can use these portals to determine who and what we let into our houses. When closed, we feel protected from the outside world. Someone must knock for us to let them in, or we can ignore them in hopes they will go away. If we expect a visit, we might leave the door wide open as a sign of welcome. Lastly, it represents a boundary that separates our private world from public view.
Our Bible offers us many different views of entrances. After a little research, we find doors get mentioned in the Bible at least 180 times. So, some of these many verses discuss open ones, some talk about closed ones. But most often, they denote something about communications or agreement. Now, we can dive into some verses that talk about doors and what they mean for us.
Open Doors Verses:
- Revelation 3:8, “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.”
- Colossians 4:3, “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.”
- John 10:9, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”
- 1 Corinthians 16:9, “There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.”
Opened
First, we look at the open ones. When we communicate with God about our life and activities, we find He will open doors for us. And, when we see them open, we know that God is leading up forward because we are in agreement. As they open, we can continue onward. But that does not mean we won’t experience other obstacles. An open door does not always mean smooth sailing. God may want to strengthen our faith, or we might encounter problems from the enemy. The openness gives us the green light to keep going as we trust Him for the next steps.
Closed Door Verses:
- Nehemiah 6:10, “When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night.”
- Job 38:10, “And I placed boundaries on it And set a bolt and doors,”
- John 20:26, “After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
- Matthew 6:6, “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
Closed
Next, we learn that when God closes a door, we discover that He might be protecting us from something or teaching us to follow His way. In these verses, we see that most closed doors protect us from things happening around us. So God locks us away from the turmoil for a time. But, a closed-door may not remain so forever. We must trust God for His timing. We see God instruct us this way in Matthew 7:7-8, “Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive. Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them.”
The Door to our heart Verses:
- Revelation 3:20-21, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.”
- John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
- John 10:2-3, “But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”
- John 10:7, “So Jesus said again, “I assure you: I am the door of the sheep.”
Our Hearts
Next, we look at our heart as the doorway to our souls. And, just like a real door, God knocks so we can determine if we will let Him in or not. God gives us a choice. Even if you opened your heart to God when you accepted Him as your Savior, we must continue to open the door daily. This allows God to reign in our lives.
Lastly, did you ever notice that God did not use a window to seek entry into our lives? If He used a window, we would be able to see Him before opening. It takes more faith to open a door without knowing or seeing God on the other side. We trust in Him and His plans for us without seeing. In closing, we remember what Jesus told Thomas in John 20:29, “Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the doors you open in my life. Give me the strength to walk through them as I follow you. Grant me patience as I encounter the closed doors. I trust you to protect me with them. I love you and praise Your Holy Name. Amen.
Blessings,
Yvonne M. Morgan, author, blogger, and speaker.
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
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I am thankful we have an open door to relationship with God.
Yvonne, I loved this post! Of course, I love doors and all they represent as well. I didn’t realize there were so many verses the Bible about doors! Open and closed . . . receiving or sometimes blocking or being protected by the position of a door. You’ve given me some good things to think about!
Thanks Jeanne. I never knew there were so many verse either. Researching and studying the Bible teaches me more and more things. I appreciate your comments too. God bless
Wow – I had never stopped to think about your point regarding God coming through a door instead of a window. As you said, “It takes more faith to open a door…”
Definitely going to chew on that for a while!
Thanks Ava. Sometimes God gives us some real nuggets of understanding. I appreciate you visiting and commenting. God bless
Great post on doors! You raise so many interesting points about doors themselves, but also about the spiritual implications of both opening and closing doors!
Thanks Melinda. There are so many interesting aspects to our Bible. I learn something new almost daily. I love digging in. I appreciate your thoughts and comments. God bless.
Beautiful visual.
Thanks Linda. God bless
What a terrific metaphor! You are so right!! And I love that verse about Jesus being THE DOOR–the only door: John 10:9, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”
Thanks Jessica. He is the only door, the only way to salvation. God bless.
Such a simple thing – a door – but with so many implications in the physical and spiritual realm! I loved this thoughtful post, Yvonne! I have often felt that God was protecting me when a door was closed, though I may have felt disappointment on some level, I felt God’s covering at the same time. Your closing thought is powerful – it does indeed take faith to open the door to God, when we can’t see the other side. Give the faith, oh Lord, to open wide the doors of our hearts to you!
Yes, we must trust our Lord and throw open the door when He knocks. And trust His protection when a door remains closed. Thanks Melissa for your insightful words. God bless.
2020 has been a year of closed doors for so many, myself included. Yet he has opened some amazing doors as well, including my engagement to a godly man who challenges and motivates me in my relationship with Jesus on a consistent basis. I love your point about doors vs windows; I’d never really thought about it that way!
Yvonne, I just started a photo project for my home. I’m currently running around shooting pictures of doors to represent exactly what your blog is about. Timing is everything. Thanks for the post…and the smile.
I am so glad God’s timing is s good. I hope it all turns out the way you want. Thanks for commenting and God bless
I really appreciate this post, Yvonne! It was very helpful to me. A door was closed recently in my life that I really wanted to be open. Your words of truth helped me stay focused on what God wants not what I want.
The part that stands out to me is, “When we communicate with God about our life and activities, we find He will open doors for us. And, when we see them open, we know that God is leading up forward because we are in agreement.”
Whatever door I want opened in my life must be the door that God and I are in agreement. All else, no matter how amazing it seems, is not for me. We must walk through the doors that God has determined fits his calling on our life.
Amen sister. Your words are a beautiful example of living by faith. It is not easy but it will be rewarding at some time in the future. And one day, you will look back and see how God’s plan played out for the best. Thanks so much for sharing Marcie and God bless
Love this, Yvonne! Such fresh and wise insight about doors. I agree with several of the commenters, never thought about God not using a window, because it takes more faith to open a door (and walk through it) when we can’t see God standing on the other side.
I’m just so glad the Lord shows up on my doorstep when others don’t!
Thanks so much Karen. That thought was a nugget from God. We must trust completely to open the door. Going on my first mission trip was like that as I chose to walk through a door I had no idea where it would lead. God bless
Yvonne, I love your use of “doors” to create words of faith and hope for us as we read your blog. The scriptures you use are wonderful and very fitting for your points!
I love your prayer as well. Thanks for writing and thanks for challenging my faith today.
Thank you Diane. We can learn so much from repeated words in the Bible. God bless.