Imagine that you are standing in front of a door. And you know that what is behind this door will completely fulfill your life. It will bring into fruition every dream you have for yourself. It will bring you what you’ve always hoped and wished for. So you go to push open this door, and much to your frustration you find that it won’t budge. You keep pushing, adding more and more pressure until finally the weight of your body is leaned against this door. It still does not open. You step back and get a running start, thinking surely you can force this door open. When that does not work, you pray that God will open this door for you. After all, you know that God wants all good things for you, so surely He would want you have what is on the other side of this door! Unfortunately, even prayer does not open this door. Confused by the difficulty of this seemingly simple task, and deeply hurt by the perceived rejection of your Creator, you finally give up.In the moment you take the pressure of your will off of the door it begins to slowly open – towards you! In all of the excitement over this door’s promises, you never thought about the way the door was designed to open. All the time you were pushing, it only needed to be pulled; or at least opened by someone from the other side. Because not only do you see it open towards you, but a hand is on the other side of this door, guiding it open. This is not what you expected to see waiting for you there. You hear a voice say your name and immediately know who it is. “Dear child, all this time I have been trying to reach you, trying to open this door for you, but you have been resisting me. You have been pushing against this door and keeping me out. I have so many plans for you, so many things I want to give you and show you. Beautiful things that I made just for you. Exciting things that you have been hoping for. Why did you resist? I was here all along, on the other side of this door, ready to give you your heart's desire…ready to make your life complete.”
Paul said in Philippians 4:12, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” I think this secret he knew was shedding HIS own agenda, and taking ownership of God’s. It has become clear to me that I have been resisting God. And in so doing, I have been forfeiting His plan for my life. I have been putting all my energy into accomplishing MY will and consequently disabling God’s will for me.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
Romans 5:5 -- “and hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”
I wrote this story and compiled the scriptures for a women's Bible study a few months ago. I post it here for you today, hoping it finds you living freely in submission to God's perfect plan for your life, and enjoying the blessings He so desperately wants to give you.
If not, go ahead....
step away from the door, and watch what happens.
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