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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