Daily Devotionals for Women - Today's Encouraging Word from Scripture

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR

And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in. Genesis 7:16

Many children today flee their parents’ arguments by running to their room to shut the door. The door separates an atmosphere of turmoil from a place of refuge.

Doors have had similar significance in scripture. A door has been used by God to separate the righteous from the unrighteous, good from evil, peril from safety.

God shut the door to the ark, separating Noah and his family from the unbelieving world who would face judgment. Noah didn’t have to sort it out and decide who would have the door shut in their face. God could see the hearts of men and made the righteous judgments.

A door provided safety for Lot too, his family, and the two angels who visited him. A gang of men pounded on the door to his home, demanding that he release his two visitors for their sexual pleasure. They took refuge behind the closed-door of Lot’s home.

In the days of Moses, the doorpost of Hebrew homes became the dividing point between death and life. While the angel of the Lord came to slay the first male child of every Egyptian household, the Hebrew children were saved when they applied blood to the doorposts of their homes.

Jesus said, “I am the door.” John 10:7 He is the only way a man or woman passes from death to life, from eternal judgment to eternal rest in God’s presence. The majority of mankind rises up to contradict Jesus’ claim. They swear that there are many ways to God but in the end, God is the One who will decide who enters and who is denied access. Jesus is the door to the ark of safety and all who enter by Him will be saved.

Noah and his family, most likely, heard the heart wrenching drama outside the ark. For seven days it began to rain. Those who had ridiculed the building of a strange wooden structure realized too late the dire consequences of their decision. The price for rejecting Jesus, the ark of safety, is still as dire today. Those who ridicule experience a false sense of security, as the judgment of God has not yet been released. Our world enjoys ‘life as usual’ just as those in Noah’s day did for 120 years. If only all men and women could learn from history. I must pray hard for those close to me, those who are still blind, that God would open their eyes to the high stakes game they play.

Jesus, You are still saying, ‘Come!’ Let my words to them be filled with urgency. Time is short. Amen

For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org