Thoughts for Life: CHOOSING THE RIGHT DOOR

Karen Huffaker-

A popular local restaurant has a cute little red door at the front entrance. A standard-size door is available to all, but the small red one is for children. They delight in entering through a special passage.

But some adults want to enter there too. It is interesting to watch them bend over and try to pass through this door to prove they can. However, this door is not intended for adults.

Many doors are available to us. Doors represent choices for jobs, colleges, spouses, friends, investments, places, hobbies, ministries, and salvation. Many, however, are not meant for us to enter just because we can. God does not intend for us to enter them all.

God opens some doors. We step through them with Him in faith. As we put one foot in front of the other, God makes a way, makes opportunities available, and clears a path for us. We pray for confirmation along the way so that we keep moving in the right direction. The impossible becomes possible because God’s way is best. He makes mountains move and parts the sea.

Yet God closes other doors. I’m glad He does. They are just not meant for me. I don’t want to force my way through a door when something might backfire, create problems, add burdens, and cause me to miss His favor and blessings. I pray for wisdom, guidance, understanding, and decisions that align with His plan. I pray that He will close the doors tightly to anything that might lead me down the wrong path.

Choose to go with God through life. Doing so is the best door to enter. Ask God to help you be alert and sensitive to His Spirit’s leading so you can experience all He has intended for you.

What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open.
Revelation 3:7 NLT

Let's pray-

Father, the example of the small door for children in this restaurant, and that some adults attempt to go through it like the children do, is interesting to watch, we're sure.
Many doors are available to us, such as jobs, colleges, spouses, friends, investments, places, hobbies, ministries and salvation. As You do not intend for us to just enter them all, we're to step through some doors that You make available and clear a path for us. We will look for confirmation along the way so we keep moving in the right direction. The impossible becomes possible if You're directing us, as You make mountains move and You part the sea!

We pray for wisdom, guidance, understanding and decisions that align with Your plan for us. We'll trust You'll close doors tightly to anything that might lead us down the wrong path.

Help us choose to go with You through life. Doing so is the best door to enter! As we ask You to help us be alert and sensitive to Your Spirit’s leading, we can experience all that You intend for us.

We pray for this in Jesus' name for our good, and so He'll get the glory! Amen.

#88 Testimony- George Muller- page 138 from The Autobiography of George Muller,

"It often astonishes me that I did not see the importance of meditation upon Scripture earlier in my Christian life. As the outward man is not fit for work for any length of time unless he eats, so it is with the inner man.

What is the food for the inner man? Not prayer, but the Word of God — not the simple reading of the Word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe. No, we must consider what we read, ponder over it and apply it to our hearts.

What a difference there is when the soul is refreshed in fellowship with God early in the morning! Without spiritual preparation, the service, the trials, and the temptations of the day can be overwhelming."

1476-1480 One-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted-

1476- Micah 7:19a "He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us."

1477- Is. 58:12b "The repairer of the breach, The restorer of the paths to dwell in."

1478- Is. 60:1 "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is

risen upon thee."

1479- Ez. 28:26b "They shall know that I am the LORD their God."

1480- Jer. 2:9a "Wherefore I will yet be pleased with you, saith the LORD."

#88 Hymn- I Gave My Life for Thee

The information about this song, is taken from the book by Robert J. Morgan, THEN SINGS MY SOUL (pg. 141)

At the art museum at Busseldorf that Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf had a life-altering experience with Christ. Housed in the museum at Wittenberg, he saw

Domenico Feti's painting, entitled Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man") It was a portrait of the thorn-crowned Christ gazing at the viewer. Beneath the painting were the words, "I have done this for you: what have you done for me?" Zindendorf said to himself, 'I have loved Him for a long itme, but I have never actually done anything for Him. From now on I will do whatever He leads me to do."

As a result of that decision, Zinzendorf became one ot the most influential leaders in Christian history, initiating the great Moravian missions movement which gave rise to global Protestant missions.

Many years later, Another Chistian visited the Dusseldorf at museum, Frances Havergal, about 17, was tired and sat down opposite the same painting. As she studied the picture and read the accompanying inscription, a few words of a hymn came to mind. Frances jotted them down. Several months later, Frances showed it to her father who was so moved that he wrote a tune for the words for, "I Gave My Life for Thee."

Some encouraging words-

"We should worship regularly. Our worship should include praise for God, prayers for each other and those in need, fellowship with other Christians, tithing and extra giving when needed, and teaching or preaching of the Word. How each of us fits that into our lives is a personal decision."Carl Schleede

Church Notes:

It is both the forgiveness and power of the Holy Spirit that are the vital factors in Christian initiation. The Power of the Holy Spirit enables us to mature in holiness.

Upcoming posts:

6/7- CAST YOUR WORRIES- Diane Ohlson

14th- WHEN DARKNESS CLOSES IN- Martin Wiles

21st- UNDER ATTACK- Jordan Zunigou