Standing at the Door 
This devotional was written by Jim Burns

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. —Revelation 3:20

I have a picture in my mind whenever I hear today's Scripture from the Book of Revelation. It is a picture of Jesus standing at a door knocking, but the door can only be opened from the inside because there is no doorknob on the outside of the door.

When Jesus knocks at the door of our heart, we basically have only four options:

1. Reject Him. There are some who have turned their back to God. He says, "I love you" and they say, "I want nothing to do with you." I once heard a young college student tell me, "I reject Jesus Christ." It broke my heart, and I have a feeling it broke God's heart too.

2. Ignore Him. These people have heard it all; they know the words of the gospel but it goes in one ear and out the other. Some of these people say, "Later, Lord." They make excuses like "I'm yours, God, as soon as I get out of school, break up with my boyfriend or girlfriend, go to college, get married, etc." The excuses just keep on coming.

3. Appease Him. You know these kinds of people. They're all around you. They go through the motions but really don't allow Christ to change their lives. They often go to church. They sit, observe, say the right stuff at the right time and then do nothing about it. Christ calls them "lukewarm" Christians. Here's what he said about them (and these aren't pleasant words):

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. —Revelation 3:16

4. Obey Him. I hope you fall into this category. These are the people who although they are not perfect, desire to live for God. These Christians made Jesus the master of their life. He is their Savior and Lord. They say, "I'm yours, Lord and I want to obey you."

Here's a great promise for those who choose option #4.

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. —John 14:21

GOING DEEPER: 

  1. What is the spiritual principle found in John 14.21?
  2. Which part of your life do you see Jesus still knocking on?

FURTHER READING: 
Psalm 30:1-5

Sign up here for Parenting Resources and other HomeWord publications.