You Sought me
” Behold I stand at the door and knock.”
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I have been reading a book from 1859, by an author named Henry Ward Beecher, the book “Views and Experiences of Religious Subjects.” Henry who was a minister had written these small articles that were put in the New York Independent newspaper, he thought they would be more tempted to read an article rather than a lengthy book. How different would this World be if what you had just read was an article contained in every newspaper in America?
The Author of the book explains the metaphor of the urgency of Christ to every sinner.
“Christ comes to the soul-house, and stands there and knocks. On getting no answer, he goes away only to come and knock again. He waits at the door, and listens for a voice within, and goes away. He comes again, and waits, and goes away! He knocks, not at one door, but goes around to every door, and waits for an answer. As one who returns to his dwelling in the night, after a journey, and finding it locked, knocks at the accustomed door of entrance in the front, and getting no answer goes to the door in the rear, then to the side door – if there be one – and then to every other door, in order, if possible, to get into his house; so Christ, who longs to enter into the soul, goes to every door in succession, and knocks, and listens for an invitation to come in, and leaves not one chamber in the soul-house unsought, or one door untried! He knocks at the door of Reason; at the door of Imagination and Taste , of Benevolence and Love, of Conscience, of Memory and Gratitude! He does not neglect a single one!” – Henry Ward Beecher
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Just like He sought us, years ago before we opened that door of Salvation, when we finally stepped out of our dwelling, our houses of shame, burdened with grief and past failures that followed us into every room not letting the memory leave us. Where would we be if we had not opened that door for Him to come in and rearrange our dwelling, our life?
My years of having Him wait outside as I scurried in the inside trying to fix the broken parts that kept breaking before me; I gave up and let Him in. We all need that professional to take care of things that we are not able to do. Why should we attempt to fix what we are not capable of?
Pride
Every one has had pride or some still do I am sure of, pride is what leads to destruction. And for some, it’s so hard for them to give their problems to someone else, it’s the ego, the human nature saying “I can do this” no we can’t! it’s the words of Christ that assures us “I can do all things through Christ” by putting our faith in the finished work of the Cross.
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“If he be admitted, joy unspeakable is in the house, and shall be henceforth. The dreary dwelling is filled with light from the brightness of his countenance, and every chamber is perfumed from the fragrance of his garments. Peace and hope, love and joy abide together in the house – for Christ himself takes up his adobe therein. But if, after his long knocking at the door and patient waiting for entrance. his solicitation be refused or neglected, by and by there shall come a time when you who have denied him, shall be denied of him. For when you shall knock at the gate of Heaven for admittance into the mansions which he has prepared from the foundation of the world, he will say unto you, as you said unto him, Depart! But that dreadful day has not yet come, and he still stands at the door – his locks wet with the dews of the morning and waits to be invited into the chamber of your soul. Hear his voice once more.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me!” – Revelation 3:20
It was 1859 when this book was published. Who are we to think His coming is going to be 10, 20 or more years away, when Henry was anticipating His coming in 1859? This World has gotten so much worse since 1859.
I urge anyone who has not yet opened that door to Him, to not walk to that door but run. Some think the Christian life is boring, ha. Who is to think that when all you need is Jesus, you will find out that outside your dwelling after Christ has come in and re decorated your soul with his presence that none other can compare. He seeks the lost and finds the door of the soul, he knocks profusely until you answer.
Back slider – You had once opened that door to Him, He once was the center of your life, now due to complacency; little by little He has been pushed out of your life and onto the streets as He is fervently knocking at your door again.
Will you answer or ignore the Master?
Men who neglect Christ, and try to win heaven through moralities, are like sailors at sea in a storm, who pull, some at the bowsprit and some at the mainmast, but never touch the helm. – Henry Ward Beecher
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