Doors

DOORS

Nicky S. Raiborde

Picture for a moment how many doors we walk through every day– the bedroom door, the bathroom door, the front door, the back door, the car door, and the garage door. There are the school doors, the office doors, the church doors as well as the elevator door, revolving doors, and automatic doors. Doors that we all have opened and closed. Our lives seem filled with going in and out of doors.

Last few days this whole concept of doors has been upon my heart. Jesus said about himself, “..I am the door”. (John 10:7) Doors give us access. They take us from one area or realm to another.

The Bible is full of verses that use the symbolism of door, and since the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and New Testament in Greek, let’s look at some definitions from those languages and then what our English dictionary defines the word as.

In Hebrews/Greek - Door (Pethach – H6607) in the Hebrew means: “any gateway marking an entrance or exit from one place or state to another. (H6605 – Pathach) “A primitive root; to open wide; specifically to loosen, begin, plough, carve, appear, break forth, draw out, let go free, engraven, loose, opening, put off, ungird, unstop, have vent.”

I love this Hebrew definition and bringing it down to the primitive root because it gives such a bigger enlightenment on the word “door.” Most of the time we think of it as an opening, entrance, or exit as the first Hebrew meaning has stated. But looking further we see such a bigger picture.

Looking at the primitive root we see that it is a wide open door and that it loosens and becomes a plough (cutting furrows in the soil and turning it over to prepare for the planting of seeds). The open door allows one to break forth and let go and be free with no one or thing stopping them. In other words, When God opens a door for you it opens up such big possibilities in so many directions, nothing will close it.

Dictionary.com defines the word door as: “a movable, usually solid, barrier for opening and closing an entranceway, cupboard, cabinet, or the like, commonly turning on hinges or sliding in grooves, a doorway, any means of approach, admittance, or access, any gateway marking an entrance or exit from one place or state to another.”

Doors usually block entrances until they are opened. Have you been praying for open doors? I saw a picture on Facebook that read: “Until God opens the next door, praise Him in the hallway!” We praise God when we are waiting, and we praise God when the door is open and we can take action and walk through the threshold.

Probably the first verse that comes to my mind when taking about doors in the Bible is in the book of Revelation about the church is Philadelphia known as the Faithful Church.

Revelation 3:7-8 (NKJV) 7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens": 8 I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name

We can see that God is all powerful and when He opens a door before you, and you walk through it, no one will take it from you. It doesn’t matter if man approves of this door or not, it was given by God and designated for you.

Sometimes when a door is opened, we look at our own strength, resources, ability, etc and fail to walk through. We need to remember that a door-vision or promise is attainable by our own power it is usually not from God because we can do it in our own strength and wisdom. God gives bold, outrageous dreams to His people and it usually brings them to the threshold again and again. It is at the door or gate that our faith is tested. This is the place where either spiritual abortion or spiritual birthing happens. I know because I have experienced both. We must come to terms with God’s Word and Character that the doors that God has in mind for your life are good doors, they create and protect your future. They are full of hope. There is provision through those doors. If he opened it, then he also empowers us to walk to through it.

Among so many scriptures in the Bible about doors, I want to highlight seven scriptures that have the imagery of doors and come in agreement with you to pray, proclaim and expectantly open these doors in your life in 2018. Here are the seven scriptures for the seven doors.

1. Door of Faith Adventures

Acts 14:27 (NKJV) 27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Paul was saying that the door God opened require faith to walk through because they were doing ministry among people that it was never been done. There are doors that God wants to open for you, but it will require faith.

2. Door of New Opportunities

1 Corinthians 16:9 (NKJV) 9 For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

Joshua 17:14-18 (NKJV) 14 Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the LORD has blessed us until now?" 15 So Joshua answered them, "If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you." 16 But the children of Joseph said, "The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel." 17 And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph--to Ephraim and Manasseh--saying, "You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot, 18 but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong."

3. Door of New Hope

Hosea 2:14-15 (NKJV) 14 "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Will bring her into the wilderness, And speak comfort to her. 15 I will give her her vineyards from there, And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; She shall sing there, As in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.

4. Door of Lord’s Choosing

2 Corinthians 2:12-15 (NKJV) 12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, 13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. 14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

5. Door of Fresh Bread (provision)

Luke 11:5-10 (NLT) Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

6. Door of God’s Manifest Presence

Psalms 24:7-9 (NKJV) Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.

7. Door of Deliverance

Acts 16:26 (NLT) Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!