What He opens no one can shut and what He shuts no one can open. ~Revelation 3:7 (NIV)
As believers in Jesus Christ, we know that all our accomplishments and victories are in God’s hands. Our victory is in Christ and in Christ alone. In Revelation 3:7 we read what God opens no one can shut and what God shuts no one can open. Have you ever faced an obstacle that you could not press through no matter how hard you tried? You can trust the Lord that door is there and shut for a reason. We hear a lot about God’s plans and His timing, but sometimes do you wonder if you are even on the same page with Him? Oftentimes we struggle because we don’t see any open doors on the path in front of us. Endeavors are thwarted or postponed, and the enemy begins to bring questions to our minds about God’s goodness and participation in our lives. We get caught up in looking to our abilities and strengths and the Lord wants us to see and know that it is His abilities that will open the way. Scripture refers to us as overcomers and overcomers have three things in common. They are able to make up their mind, set their will and manage their emotions. It doesn’t matter if we are starting a new business or quitting an unprofitable habit, we have to have all three of those working in the same direction to overcome because all three are a support network for our faith. We can’t say we are trusting God to help us be successful and then spend our day letting our mind worry. We can’t say we believe the Lords promises and forget that obedience and holiness should be our resolve. Most importantly we can’t let our emotions cause us to say and do things contrary to what we believe God is doing in our lives. We have to obey God, and we have to trust God.
In Zechariah 4:6 God has told us “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (NIV) It doesn’t matter how smart we are or how much we can finagle to make happen, the right doors and the best doors open by the Spirit of God only. This is true so that when our breakthrough does come, and it will, all the glory belongs to God alone. God tells us in Jeremiah 33:20 “This is what the Lord says: “If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time...” (NIV) He says we have a better chance of switching night and day than He would of breaking covenant with His people. Jesus has set us free from our captivity which for the most part is our will and our way. When we choose to do things our way instead of God’s way it holds us back. By choosing to trust Him we can do so much because we submit not only our spirit but also our souls which is comprised of our mind, will and emotions to the Lord’s authority. When we do this, He brings us up to a new level of thinking and we learn to depend on something bigger than ourselves. Jesus has told us that faith moves mountains. That faith is from God from start to finish. He gave us the measure of faith; we utilize our faith, and He opens the doors that no man can shut. The life of the believer is a life of faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work. It’s time we put away our flashlights and let God's word light our path today. He will lead us to the open doors if we just trust Him!
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. ~Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
In what ways have you struggled between your desired timing and Gods?
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