Revelation 3:20-21
“Look at me. I stand at the door. I
knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and
sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the
head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the
side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors!
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
When I was a little girl, my
neighborhood was a lot like one big family. We visited the houses of
each other, and while we might knock lightly, we mostly threw open the
door and asked, “Anybody home?” before we stepped inside. It was no big
deal to drag up an extra chair at the lunch table for my Mam-ma Polly
when she popped by…or my “Aunt” Martha who lived next door and came in
and out for frequent visits. Lots of mornings when I was little, we
would wake up to find my grandfather Truman sitting in a living room
chair! We visited our neighbors in our bath robes and pajamas…and
didn’t give it a second thought. When someone knocked on the door, we
answered…and generally, they were invited inside.
Today, if
someone knocks on my door, I hurry to a nearby window to check out who
is there. I rarely drop in on anyone – even family members – and I feel
a little uncomfortable when I do so. There are certain folks (mostly
family members and a couple of close friends) who can drop in on me and
not ruffle my feathers. But generally, a little “heads up” phone call
or notice would be greatly appreciated…and I promise to extend the same
courtesy to you!
Recently, a man tried to “drop in” at the White
House. His “knock” was not very well-received. There are certain doors
that you can stand at and knock all day…and no one is going to throw
them open and say, “Come on in! Sit down…have a meal with me… and stay
awhile!” Thankfully, Jesus’ “door” is not one of them. The
Be-All-End-All, most important Being ever, welcomes any and all
visitors, 24/7! And you do realize that when I talk about “knocking at
the door,” I am not literally talking about a DOOR…right?
This
passage refers to you and me…sinners…”knocking” at the “door” of Jesus’
heart…saying “I need Your salvation in my life! I need to dwell in You –
and You in me. I need Your nurture…Your sustenance…Your continual
forgiveness, grace and mercy. May I come in?” Jesus says in reply,
“Not only may you come in, but sit with Me…here…at this place of honor
next to MY Heavenly Father (and yours!). You are one of Us…and you are
most welcome!” Isn’t that amazing? Not only did Jesus suffer and die
for our sins…He wants to give us a place of honor at His table…right
next to God Almighty!
This is almost more than I can
comprehend. Everyone wants to feel welcomed…but to be treated so
royally by the LORD Himself is just astounding! And yet, all it takes
is one “knock”. All we have to do is “tap on the door” and sincerely
say, “LORD…I’m here…I need You and I want to be Yours forever.” Jesus
stands on the other side, ready and willing to open the door of His
heart – and welcome you inside. He is the neighbor you want to visit…the
One who needs no advance warning that you are on your way. You don’t
have to dress up – or dress at all – to dine with Jesus. All you have
to do is show up on His “doorstep”…and knock.
Do you “dine with
Jesus”? Don’t you want to? Will this be the day that you “drop in”
and are welcomed to His table – and into His Kingdom forever? What are
you waiting for…go ahead and “knock!” This will be the best “visit”
ever!
©2015 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment