Open the Door

November 21, 2024

From Pastor Eileen States

I have been doing a lot of introspection on my spiritual journey these past couple of weeks. As I was putting together a portfolio for an assignment I had been given, I found myself spending way too much time reading over past journals from 30+ years ago. I smiled as I read what my big concerns were and where my greatest joys were found at different ages of my life. The constant was that God was there to listen and walk with me every step of the way. 

My journey with God has not always been a mountaintop experience. I have gone through many a valley with Him. One thing I learned early on was that it wasn’t God who ever created the distance in my relationship with Him; it was always me. I would go through droughts of not connecting with Him, all while wondering why He felt so distant. Sound familiar?

How many of you would like to have a more intimate relationship with Jesus? I can’t imagine anyone saying “no.” If you have ever had a close relationship with Him and have lost it for any reason, you know what you are missing, and you probably yearn to have that relationship restored. 

James writes these words in His letter to the early Christian Church, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (4:8) This verse used to frustrate me that God wasn’t doing the initiative to draw near to me first! But when you put that verse together with Revelation 3:20 portraying Jesus standing at our door knocking, waiting to be invited in, it makes more sense. Who draws near first, Him or us? We do! We are the ones to determine the level of our relationship with God. Are we going to leave Him out on the doorstep, or will we invite Him in? It's up to us to open the door.

Open that door today! Invite Him in. Allow Him to sit with you and share in your life. Laugh with Him, weep with Him, allow Him to impart wisdom for whatever it is you are going through. He wants to “do” life with you in every way.  I can promise you, God will draw near to you and the day to day joys and trials will be made easier because of His abiding presence surrounding you. Allow Him to be your Immanuel this holiday season.