Doors: Part 2

(In case you can't tell, that's a picture of me kneeling in my closet. Taken in our previous house on Idaho.)

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.  Matthew 6:6

Although a literal closet is not necessary, symbolically speaking, when we approach our heavenly Father for prayer, we must shut the door in our hearts and minds to outside distractions.  I highly recommend praying with your spouse and children, but I also believe individual prayer time alone with God is vital to your spiritual walk.  Sometimes all we do is a quick prayer at bedtime or over our meals, but we must not neglect time on our knees.  I know this is not always easy when we are rushed or, in my case, are not sure what to pray.  When I do not know what to say, I take this time to thank God for His love and the blessings in my life.  I ask Him to empty me of me and fill me with Him; make me clean and use me.  I do not usually ask for anything at this point (prayer requests are saved for prayer time with Mel and at bedtime). My personal alone time with God is for repentance as well as for praise and being willing to listen to what God has to say to me.

 If I had to sum up the best attitude of prayer for a prayer closet, I would choose Psalm 46:10, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!  Exactly!  Use this door to shut yourself in with God and humbly acknowledge Him and all He has done.  

Spending time alone with God in prayer opens up the doors of repentance, faith, and renewal.

 

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Matthew 25:10-13

Then one said to [Jesus], “Lord, are there few who are saved?”  And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate [or door] for many I say to you will seek to enter and  not be able.  When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,'  then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.' But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.' Luke 13:23-27

The above doors are symbolic of heaven’s door.  The first example in Matthew is the parable of the ten virgins, representative of those who are spiritually pure (the entire parable is Matthew 25:1-13).  The wise virgins who kept enough oil on hand to keep their lamps lit while waiting for the bridegroom demonstrate those who remain faithful in their walk with Christ and endure to the end.  The foolish virgins who run out of oil, then must leave to go buy fuel and miss the bridegroom when He comes, are those who get tired of living righteous lives and give up on their faith.  There are many reasons people backslide and, in a sense, run out of oil to fuel their spiritual lamps.  The main reason is that they blame God for their pain and disappointment.  Loved ones die, illness and diseases happen, spouses cheat, children suffer, the church lets you down, and the list goes on.  People also fall as the foolish virgins because they have grown impatient in waiting for a specific event and they walk away, saying they will return only after things go their way.  In other words, they may say, “God when you bless me with a husband, then I’ll commit my life to You.”  The list of items one may be waiting on could be anything from a good health, a baby, a job, money, fame, and on and on.  

Leaving to buy oil can also represent leaving the paths of righteousness to seek forbidden pleasures because they feel being a Christian is too boring.  They will return to God only after they have had their “fun,” never stopping to realize they could die at any age, and then it will be too late to buy oil.  The foolish women represent backsliders and not simply non-believers because they chose to meet the bridegroom (Jesus) in the first place.  Also calling them “virgins” implies they were once pure before God.  They once had the faith to want to be a bride of Christ or they would not have joined the wise virgins to begin with.  They are the shallow Christians also seen in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 (You can read my blog on that topic here: https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-parable-of-sower.html

The example in Luke 13 is saying the same thing as the end of the parable about the virgins.  We must live righteous lives and work hard to enter through the gate (or door) to heaven, or God will say He does not know us and will send us away. Salvation is a free gift we can never earn, but we have to be very careful we don't lose our salvation with foolish actions.  All other doors in your life will ultimately lead you to the final door of to Heaven where we face God’s judgment throne.  Only then can we confidentially say we endured to the end as we fall at the feet of Jesus and lay our crowns at His feet.  I pray you want as much as I do hear the Father say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; come and dine with Me,” and not, “Depart from Me, I do not know you.”     

When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, Matthew 27:59-61 &  28:2-7

Hallelujah!  Jesus is risen!  This is such an exciting door and is the cornerstone of our faith.  Jesus came to Earth in human form and willingly allowed Himself to be tortured and crucified for our sins.  His blood on the cross paid the debt we owe God for our sins.  But the story doesn’t end there.  When Jesus rose from the dead, He removed the sting from death and swallowed it up in victory!  Not just the sting of His death, but ours as well.  Because we serve a risen Savior, we have the opportunity to live with Him in paradise for all eternity.  Don’t waste such a precious gift by living a life of sin.  Repent and live for Christ, embracing His death on the cross and resurrection from the tomb!

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O Death, where is your sting?  O Hades, where is your victory? I Corinthians 15:50-55