Properties of Open Doors

My life has a been a crazy mess of opened and closed doors lately. Thankfully, I serve a God who specializes in making beauty come from the ugliest messes. Isn't that good news? These doors have rarely stayed open long enough for me to walk through. So I started to ask the Lord, "Why even open them in the first place? I mean, what's the point?"

Then, I realized that there was something to be learned by these open doors (I will probably refer to them as swinging doors, because they seem to swing shut just as quickly as they opened). Here are some properties of open doors....

- YOU CAN'T OPEN THEM!! When you pry them open, the results are not pretty.

- Sometimes they open to teach us something...how to pray, how to interview,how to trust He has a good plan when they fall through, how to see His movement even if the outcome isn't what we want.

- Sometimes they exist to encourage others. This idea is a little tough for me. I understand that I exist to encourage others, to show others Jesus, to be a light. But doesn't that kind of pale to me having a job where I could have an impact on a daily basis? You would think. But His ways are not ours. I have found through my last couple interviews when I have been asked to tell my story I have been emailed after being turned down from the job only to learn that what the Lord had led me through really encouraged the people interviewing me. I'll take that.

-When we wait, we need to be focused on where He has currently placed us, and make the most of every opportunity. It may be He hasn't moved us because He is wanting to develop us and equip us more in the meantime.

So, are you ready for the one word answer on how to understand which open doors to go through and what you are supposed to do while the door keeps swinging? It's a divine word. Frustrating. Simplistic. You ready?

WAIT

Yep, that's it. You can stop reading now, but I hope you won't. Even more important than the properties that the Lord is teaching me about these swinging doors are the properties the Lord puts in Scripture. You want to hear something cool? Many of these verses talk about the Lord's desires to enlarge your territory (your area of influence) when you wait for Him. Pretty cool promises. You ready for that list? They all have one word in common and three guesses what word that is.

1)For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:9

2)Wait for the LORD and keep his way.He will exalt you to inherit the land;when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. Psalm 37:34

3)My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. Psalm 62:5

4)I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

5)These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. Psalm 104:27

6)Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown
are the desire of our hearts. Isaiah 26:8

7)O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. Isaiah 33:2

8) But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 43:31

9) Since ancient times no one has heard,no ear has perceived,no eye has seen any God besides you,who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. Isaiah 64:4

10) The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. Lamentations 3:25

11) Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Micah 7:7

There were so many other cool verses about waiting, but I just picked a few. This is not a fun concept, but I find that after reading those verses, Jesus knew exactly how frustrating it would be to wait and He is asking us to trust in Him. He has our backs. As my friend told me today, it's His timing, not ours.

Here is my last fun tidbit for the night. Did you know that Jesus actually called Himself THE DOOR? If you do not know Jesus, if you are curious about these open doors or don't understand why you can't open them yourself, I pray that you will understand that they only way to find true success and direction is through a personal relationship with The Door....Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." (John 10:9).

There is hope and peace and rest and success in waiting for Jesus and walking through Him to life everlasting. My prayer is that you will find peace in your waiting and that you will trust Him for your tomorrows. Believe me, I am with you. I am not promising that it is easy. But I know He has good plans for you and for me. Why? Because He promised that!

Trusting Him in my waiting,
Kariss