Open Doors

Not everything that is made available to you in life is meant for you. Many people think that any opportunity that presents itself is an opportunity from God. It may be an opportunity for you to choose obedience to God over an earthly temptation. Kari said something once that stood out to me and it made me think about this issue. Who put the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden? Was it Satan? Was it Adam? No, it was the Lord. It was the Lord, yet he commanded Adam and Eve not to eat it. We know what happened. Eve was deceived and disobeyed God because the fruit was pleasant to her eyes and was desirable, and Adam deliberately disobeyed God by partaking of the fruit with Eve. There are many things that the Lord forbids men and women from doing in his Word, yet people who claim to be Christians ignore him because what they see is desirable and there for the taking. They partake of the “forbidden fruit” (well God put it there), but in doing so, they disobey one of God’s commands and then make an excuse as to why God’s command does not apply to them because their situation is different. I am reminded of Deuteronomy 13:1-4 which says: “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.” There are people that will give you unbiblical advice based on worldly reasoning. God is not going to stop them from giving you bad advice. It might seem like their advice has helped you, even though their advice goes against the teaching of the Bible. That is because God is trying, or testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. The Lord says that those who love him keep his commandments. That means they follow him, obey his voice, and serve him.

Have you partaken of something that God forbids in his Word? Men, are you neglecting to be the provider and protector of your family because an "open door” has come along? Women, are you failing “to be sober, to love (your) husbands, to love (your) children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to (your) own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed” because an "open door” has come along? Have you formed a partnership or acquired something, thinking it is an opportunity from God, yet that relationship or possession disregards a commandment of God? There are well meaning people that will try to give you advice. If it contradicts God’s Word, they are wrong. If you heed their advice, you will be too.

An "open door" is not necessarily a sign that God is leading you to do something. Do not think that just because something has worked out like you want it to that it is God’s will for your life. Test all things by the Word of God.