Behold I Stand at the Door
A letter from the Editor
As you are aware of by now, my ministry here at Source of Light has me traveling quite a bit. In fact, as of today, I am at 100,000 miles so far for the year! But I also have a desk, which piles up with things while I am gone and so I must really discipline myself and use my time wisely when I am in the office.
Not too long into the job I realized I needed help, with interference for calls, stop-ins, and quick questions. These interruptions were just eating away at my day, so I began to delegate more of who could answer questions and worked with our receptionist and my secretaries on who should get through by phone, or to meet on the spot in emergencies, particularly when I am busy.
They do a fabulous job at this and the interruptions have significantly been reduced. Meetings still happen, but they are scheduled in advance unless it’s an emergency.
So it came as a surprise when, after a particularly busy week, after I had already been through a couple unexpected interruptions, I heard a very faint knock on the door. My hearing isn’t so great, so my thought was to use that as an excuse, and eventually one of my secretaries would return from wherever they were, then I could resume my work and the interrupter would be intercepted by my security detail/secretaries.
But the knock got louder, and longer, and eventually I couldn’t ignore it any longer. As I opened the door, I recognized a young lady from the volunteer group. She asked if she might have a moment of my time. I had done devotions for the team earlier that day and she commented that I seemed different than a lot of pastors she knows, less judgmental, and so she was wondering if we could talk.
We sat in my office for over an hour and I just listened to what was on her mind, what was troubling her, and how she felt a little out of place with the team. She was on the trip because her grandmother asked her to come since she was on college break, but she really didn’t know anybody. When they would share things about each other, she felt everybody judged her. She talked about her views on current social issues, God, and her live-in boyfriend, and almost always felt like she was not among a group of people that was like her. She wondered how she could not feel the same way that they do… at all. Like they don’t agree on anything.
But she also shared of her own personal struggles and who she is, why she believes the way she does, why she questioned everything about life and how to live it.
It didn’t take too long listening to her story to realize what the real issue was in her life. I asked her about her personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Her reply was simple, she was pretty sure she didn’t have one.
We spent the next hour talking through the Word about God’s plan of salvation. Towards the end of that meeting, she confessed her sin and asked Christ to be her Savior, likely that day, because I answered “the knock at the door.”
I’m ashamed to think of the many times in my life I have heard “the knock on the door” and ignored it. How many opportunities have I passed up to “sup with Him,” because I have been preoccupied or even lazy?
This passage from Revelation 20 is in the context of the lukewarm Laodicean church, lost in their selfdeception, risking being spat out of God’s mouth. I can think of no worse imagery, or any worse punishment, than to be spit out by Him because of neglecting the “knocks” at my door to Him and to His direction, leading, and will for my life.
Our busyness, selfishness, and preoccupations, even while doing the ministry can very well prevent God from accomplishing all He wants to do in and with our lives.
At Source of Light, I pray we are consistently sensitive to the “knocks on the door” that God regularly gives. That we are listening intently, eagerly waiting for the chance to “sup” with Him for our own spiritual growth, and for “divine interruptions” that could be open doors leading to new opportunities to share the Gospel and “make disciples” along the way.
This edition of the Reaper is dedicated to “Open Doors.” Open doors in lives changed, open doors for the future ministry of Source of Light in new countries, and closed doors God used to open new doors, when we look for God’s leading… and listen for His knocking.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. Revelation 3:20 KJV
