Tired. In the face of closed doors and shuttered hearts.
Discouraged by disinterest. Low-grade resistance.
Some could care less about eternal realities.
It’s easy to feel like giving up.
Closed
But You are the One seeking the lost.
Searching the multitudes.
Seeing the one.
You know the way of their coming and going. What they hear today that will lodge somewhere deep. Behind closed minds.
Preparing their hearts to respond. Hopefully.
Someday.
Speak
So, when we feel like giving up, keep us listening to Your voice. In the piercing truth of Your Word.
Speak into and through us what is true, noble, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy.
In the atmosphere of deceptive claims and hopeless trajectories, use our mouths to declare the gospel.
When we are weak, You are strong.
I am
Your steady, sure voice says, “I am the Way.”
You speak with no-holds-barred, “I am the Truth.”
Your abundance overflows in “I am the Life.”
No one. No one comes. No one comes to the Father. No one comes to the Father except through You, Jesus.
Wait
So, when doors remain closed, we lift up our heads. And pray.
When people refuse Your sacrificial gift of eternal life, we seek Your face.
And wait, wait upon the Lord.
“The Lord does not delay His promises as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
What about you?
Have closed doors or hearts made you feel like giving up? How has the Lord encouraged your heart and strengthened you to continue sharing the gospel?
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14 replies on “Closed”
This article follows on with my current study in Acts. In chapter 19, after many ‘closed doors’, Paul has a night vision in which the Lord tells him “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you,…for I have many in this city [Corinth] who are my people.” Jesus knows who His people are in any location, I just need to faithfully proclaim Him and leave outcomes to Him. The Holy Spirit opens hearts. Jesus experienced rejection, and His followers throughout Church history experienced rejection, but the invitation to Life remains the same to every age. Jesus is still calling His people to His kingdom.
Amen. We keep speaking the Good News, no matter what. Thanks for sharing 😊
Susan, I am blessed and encouraged EVERY Sunday evening by what you write and share with us. And many times, I feel like you’re writing directly to me — tonight’s “Closed” was one of those! It’s exactly what I needed to encourage me to pray, persevere, and keep proclaiming Him — and to keep trusting Him to do the work that only He can do.
Thank you so much for your encouragement, dear sister.
Our study of Acts has reminded me that the fantastic response on Pentecost brought persecution that scattered the believers-thus spreading the Gospel.
Both response and resistance are in God’s hands.
Thank you for sharing this truth. Thankful that He is Sovereign 🙌🏼
As midtermers coming to the end of our stint in the Middle East, we often wonder if our work here was of any value. But, only God knows what interest and longings God is stirring in the hearts of these people.
And what a comfort to know that He continues to work after we have left. He will also bring them to your heart and mind in the years ahead to pray and call others to pray. Thank you for serving! Great is His faithfulness.
Always a good word. God IS at work and he IS good and his timing IS perfect. Trust in him at all times. Wait on him and HE will act.
Yes and Amen 😊
Susan, I’ve had the word “steadfast” on my mind a lot lately, and your post is just another reminder of our need to remain steadfast in proclamation and service, even when we don’t see immediate results (or results like we would like to see). A good word, sister. Thanks for all you do.
Thanks for your encouragement and your writings, sister.
My word lately is
“Press On”. Knowing that the Lord is in control and has a plan. I may get to share to a certain point which sometimes I am sowing the seed and then the door is closed. The Lord’s timing is perfect, so I keep going. A while back a young man was screaming my name in a parking lot. When I stopped and talked to him, I didn’t remember him. He was in a kid’s club when he was 6 years old. The club was in a place that was so closed, but years later the Lord let us see where he was working. The young man is now a believer and active in his church. Tears of joy sprang up as he said he still had some of the crafts we made in this group.
Rejoicing with you! What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing, sister!