The ones who knock
Well, friends, it’s getting to that time of year. Christmas is happening, carols play 24/7, and for those of us that work, those holidays are starting to look very appealing.
I don’t know why, but as my uni has eased up this has become the busiest and most intense part of my year. All sorts of various commitments are coming through and it’s becoming difficult to give more and more of myself to them. This is why I want to encourage all of you as much as myself; keep on knocking.
This idea of knocking I get from the famous “…Knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew Chapter 7, Verse 7, NIV). Here Jesus is telling his disciples how they should pray, and he gives a parable on persistently knocking; he encourages his disciples to knock over and over again until the door is opened.
So, I want to encourage us, friends, that even though we’re approaching the end of the year, continue knocking.
Be ready
What we must understand as Believers is that we never have an off-season. There’s never a time, at least while we’re here on Earth, when it is time to call it quits and finally rest.
We are on the pitch, always ready to catch the ball, and by that, I mean we need to be always ready for God to give us a new mission to carry even though it might be at unconventional times. When the rest of the world is settling in for Christmas holidays when they can simply enjoy their comforts and “have fun” we are still waiting for God to give us a task much like He did for Moses when the burning bush appeared.
No matter how comfortable we are, no matter how ready we are to stop and rest, we know that God, at any time, may need to use us as His agents of the Kingdom to carry his word.
Be Faithful
Remember when Joshua walked around the walls of Jericho for seven days knowing that God would bring them down? Well, that wall didn’t fall progressively.
On day one there were no small cracks moving up the wall, on day two there were no pebbles falling from the top, on day five there was no deep rumbling and on day six God didn’t appear and say, “One day more, chaps!”.
God gave them the word, then they were faithful in carrying it, no matter how tired or sore they might have been.
And friends, I want to encourage you that sometimes when God gives you a word to carry then it might seem a bit like that - on day one you’ll see no fruit, on day three you’ll see none, and on day five you’ll see none – but on day seven, because you were faithful, the word of God will be true.
Whatever He has said will happen WILL HAPPEN. If he has said you’ll be healed, YOU’LL BE HEALED, if he said your family will be saved, YOUR FAMILY WILL BE SAVED, and it is up to us to carry that and be faithful; to carry whatever God has given you no matter what you see in the natural because God is true.
Be steadfast
There’s a bit of a scary story in Daniel (Chapter 3, Verses 16-18) where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are about to be thrown into the furnace. They say ‘God will save us’, and then they say, against the King and all his decrees, that even if God doesn’t save them, they will continue to pray. That no matter what, even after getting the word of the Lord and not seeing results, they will continue to praise God.
Friends, what a crazy sort of faith that is! Where Believers will boldly declare they will praise God “Even if he doesn’t…”.
I wonder how many of us would say that same thing? I wonder how many of us have enough faith to say we will praise God regardless of whether we get our own way? It is this that reminds me that it’s not ‘My Kingdom’, it’s His.
We are not here to serve our own purposes or make ourselves feel comfortable, we are here to carry His word as His agents and not to make ourselves feel good. It’s a crazy thought and doesn’t exactly feel very comforting, but luckily, it’s all worth it in the end.
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians Chapter 6, Verse 9, NLT)
We may not always necessarily be “happy” on Earth, but in Heaven we see the most awesome reward for our perseverance… Isn’t that worth fighting for? I believe it is.
So, I want to encourage you friends, that as we get to the end of the year, to be ready to carry God’s word, to be faithful with it regardless of what you see, and to be steadfast even if it doesn’t happen the way you think. It’s not my kingdom, God, Your Kingdom come. Your will be done. And for you, we will be The Ones Who Knock on every door in Your Name.
Josiah Gray lives in Logan City, Australia. He is currently studying teaching at Christian Heritage College and is committed to telling the story of Jesus to the next generation.
Josiah’s previous articles can be found at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/josiah-gray.html
Josiah Gray lives in Logan City, Australia. He is currently studying teaching at Christian Heritage College and is committed to telling the story of Jesus to the next generation. Josiah’s previous articles may be viewed at: https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/josiah-gray.html