Jesus does it all. He is the Savior. He answers the door when we knock and He opens closed and stuck doors for us. During chronic illness, there are a lot of doors we simply cannot open ourselves.
I am used to doors being slammed in my face. I am used to them being tightly bolted even before I arrive. I am used to knocking and receiving no answer. It has been a bit scary how used to this I have become.
Instead of fear, I found new doors. Or maybe I should say, they found me.
When that happens, chances are it is Jesus. Not always. Not every open door is from God and we do need discernment to know which it is.
I have had more practice than I am willing to admit. My discernment is still not perfect, but it has been fine tuned. The last 7 years of a nasty health crash has fine tuned a lot of things.
Now I clearly know, if an open door does not match God’s word, it is not from God. If there is any contradiction to God’s word, red flags go up.
The Lord also will not open a door that would require personal compromise or disobedience in order for us to enter.
Jesus is the Door
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
~ John 10:7-9 NKJV
There are some doors not worthy of even knocking on much less opening. The only door I know worthy of opening is Jesus’.
Jesus Answers the Door
Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
~ Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV
I know this is not right, but sometimes I simply do not ask when it comes to something for myself. Asking is the very first part of this. If we don’t ask, it is hard to seek the right door to knock on!!!
I know, there is SO much to ask for during chronic illness. I know, Jesus has got to be tired of the requests. Well, as long as we are not moaning groaning and complaining, He says ASK.
I need to be a part of my prayer requests. He does not get tired of hearing from me.
Jesus Opens the Doors
But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out
~ Acts 5:19 NKJV
I know I find myself imprisoned in several different ways. Illness has felt like a prison, no doubt. Really bad relationships is a type of prison. My thinking has been one of the worse prisons of all.
Breaking the chains and walking right out the doors is a glorious moment.
Some of us have just got to make the choice to walk right out of those prison doors that the Lord has opened for us. HE opened them, now WALK OUT. There is a better life than some of us live.
Rebuilding Doors
Interestingly enough, sometimes God simply rebuilds doors for us. When there is no possible way to move forward, He makes the way for us. He provides, always. Sometimes it is by others actually taking their hands and rebuilding the doors so we can walk through them.
I am enjoying this visual. It took others to build their doors so that I could walk through and join them. I know, its vague. If others were not diligent to build what was meant to be, ordained by God, then they would not have the resources to rebuild a door for me.
Humm, way too vague.
What others have done before us can be our open doors that God provided. It has taken their hands, their hard work and God’s provisions that end up providing for us. We just simply do not know what others efforts are doing for us. And there is no way of knowing what God’s perfect plans are, until they unfold before us.
Oh stars. God says it best, let’s just go back to scripture. I love this visual of the ones putting forth the effort to rebuild doors and gates…
3 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.
3 Also the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. 4 And next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, made repairs. Next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok the son of Baana made repairs. 5 Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.
6 Moreover Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors, with its bolts and bars.
~ Nehemiah 3:1-6 NKJV
This took work. It took getting out there and getting the work done.
The story of Nehemiah rebuilding the wall encourages me to work, to be diligent, even when I cannot see the end result. The work just simply has to be done.
When we are chronically ill and cannot work, it feels like we are not being productive and not “working.” When we are chronically ill THAT in itself is work. The Lord sees our hard work through illness. Work just is not going to always look the same when we are ill and somehow we have to accept that.
Have you ever heard the saying, “Put your shoulder into it.” The nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord. I know I want to. I know that when others put their shoulders into it that many benefit. I know that all the times that I put my shoulder into it, one way or another, there is benefit.
This month, my blessing came directly from someone else putting their shoulder into it. All of their hard work has brought a blessing right to my front door. Sure, God is the mastermind behind all of it but it took the willingness of some humans to put their hands and shoulders to work.
During chronic illness we just simply cannot do everything for ourselves. We cannot fix everything. We cannot “push through” everything. Yet we can learn that Jesus is the door, He will answer the door and He will open the correct ones for us. In God’s will in His timing, it will be done.
I did not always have patience while waiting for this open door. The word “hurry” passed my lips a couple times. I will admit there were moments of begging. And I certainly did not expect the open door that I received. Bigger and better and it points glory right to God because there is nothing about me that matches this mighty open door.