Behind closed doors

I was at the mall recently when I struck an unusual problem; I couldn’t get in, nor could I get out!

More precisely, I had entered through the main doors, which as usual, opened automatically as I approached them, but the inner doors, the ones that keep the heat in and the wet weather out, would not open for me. As I stood there, foolishly waving my hands at what I thought was the “magic eye” automatic opener, attracting a few wide-eyed stares from those fortunate enough to be already inside, I realized that I was caught in the predicament that we sometimes find ourselves in spiritually.

It took me a little while to work out that the doors had been altered from the more familiar “magic eye” type to a weight sensitive pad, and as I was not standing on the pad the door didn’t “know” that I was there, so no opening of doors for me. 

Many times in my walk with God I have stood before a door in the spirit realm, waiting impatiently for God to open it, only to grow more and more frustrated as He was seemingly unaware of my presence….  Sometimes it’s necessary for us to actually move towards that door, in faith, trusting that God will respond to that faith and open the door.  

The Israelites found themselves facing this dilemma on the banks of the River Jordan, a very long time ago. After their time of testing in the desert, they were finally going to enter the Promised Land. You can imagine the excitement in the camp. The generation that was about to walk into the promise given to their forefathers had known nothing but migration, and had never enjoyed the security of a permanent home. There was just one river to cross, the Jordan, and it was in flood. Today the Jordan is a relatively small river, but way back then it may have been considerably bigger…

As usual, God’s plan for the crossing is different from anything that the people might have come up with.

"The Children of Israel Crossing the Jordan" by Gustave Dore

And you shall command the priests that carry the Ark of the Covenant, saying, “When you have come to the brink of the water of Jordan, you shall stand still in Jordan.” Joshua 3:8

And now take yourselves twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.  And it shall be, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that carry the ark of Jehovah, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above. And they shall stand all in a heap. Joshua 3:12-13

Well, as might be expected with God’s plan, it worked!

And it happened, when the people moved from their tents to pass over Jordan, and as the priests carried the ark of the covenant before the people, and as those who bore the ark had come to Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bore the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for Jordan overflows all its banks, all the time of harvest); that the waters which came down from above stopped and rose up all in a heap, very far from the city Adam that is beside Zaretan. And those that came down toward the sea of the plain, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over across from Jericho. Joshua 3:14-16

   

Did you catch it…? The people had to make the first move; the priests actually had to get their feet wet before anything happened! As with the miracle at Canna, and again with the feeding of the 5000, or Lazarus being raised from the dead, and most of the other miracles that our Lord preformed, it was necessary for someone to act “in faith.”   

Has God has been speaking to you about something He wants to do in an area in your life?  Have you been facing a closed door? Maybe you've been waiting for God to do something…meanwhile He's waiting for you to do something - to start walking in the direction of where you believe He wants you to go ... even if there's a closed door or a flooded river in front of you. Let God deal with that… Your part is to get moving in the direction He's leading!