Open and Closed Doors

Revelation 3:7-8 ESV

 

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

 

“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.’”

 

This is not the entire letter. You can read the entire letter at Revelation 3:7-13. But I sense that I am to focus just on these two verses today, and I believe the Lord would have me to share with you a testimony of how he worked this in my life, although this is certainly not the only time he worked such a miracle as this in my life. He has done this many times over, although not under these same circumstances or situation.

 

God Will Make a Way

 

Well, I was not a writer of music. Back in the early 80s I had put a tune to a poem I had written and another lady wrote the accompaniment for the song. And that was the extent of my writing music career until 2011 when the Lord Jesus impressed upon my heart to write songs at the age of 61 when my voice was not in the best shape and I had not really been singing much for maybe 5 years. But mine was the only voice available to sing the songs.

 

And then one day my husband asked me if I was on LinkedIn. I was surprised that he asked me that, for I thought, “Why would I be on LinkedIn?” Well, then the Lord led me to get on LinkedIn, so I did, and I began sharing the songs on there that the Lord had given me to write, which were just simple songs of faith based off the teachings of the Scriptures. And then one day in 2012 a music producer approached me on LinkedIn about professionally recording some of my songs.

 

Well, my first response to him was to tell him, “No.” I was an old lady of 62 years with an old worn out voice, so I was not exactly professional recording material. But then he wrote back and he said, “Did you pray about it?” Ouch! No, I hadn’t! I just assumed that such an idea was out of the question. So, then I prayed about it and immediately the Lord began pouring songs and Scriptures into my mind which said to me, “Go!”

 

For the Lord began with the song, “The Regions Beyond,” by A.B. Simpson. And this was followed by, “God Will Make a Way,” (where there seems to be no way..), by Don Moen. He followed this with the Scripture “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible,” and the scripture that says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.” So, I knew the Lord was saying to go, and my husband agreed, so we began the process of getting a song arranged and ready to record.

 

God, a Worker of Miracles

 

As I am now in the process of reading over my notes from that time period I see where I mentioned an “Open door” more than once. In one of my prayers I said, “It keeps appearing to me to be an open door. I pray if this is your will that you will work out all the details and provide all we need (finances; voice; etc.) for this venture ‘to go to the regions beyond.’ In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”  And then I read about the apostle Paul’s prayer request for an “open door” to share the gospel clearly and fearlessly.

 

So, my husband and I stepped out in faith, and we made plans to go to Nashville, TN, to record the song, “For Our Nation.” But right before we were to go I lost my voice and it was not coming back. So I prayed about that, too, and I believed the Lord continued to impress upon my heart to go and that he would make a way where there seemed to be no way. And my husband agreed that we should go, so we left for Nashville not knowing if I was going to have a voice or not, but trusting the Lord to work it all out.

 

When we got to Nashville, I still could not sing. Right before I was to go into the recording booth, I still had no voice. But then I stood in front of the microphone, and I prayed and I trusted the Lord for the results, whatever they might be. Then I opened my mouth to sing and I had a voice, not a professional sounding voice by human standards, but the voice God wanted me to have for this time for this specific song, for his purposes and glory. It was definitely a miracle of God and the way he wanted it all to happen.

 

Now, the reason I just shared that with you, and this is not the first time I have shared this testimony, is because the Lord led me to share it with you, and because it fits with the Scripture from Revelation 3:7-8. For when God opens a door, nothing and no one can shut it, not even losing my voice and having no voice to sing right up until the time I stood in front of that microphone and opened my mouth to sing. But even if I still had no voice to sing, it doesn’t mean that I failed or that God failed, but that his purpose in sending me there was for a different reason.

 

Back to Nashville

 

Now that was in 2012, and in 2017 the Lord Jesus led us back to Nashville to live there for two years, only we did not know at that time it was only going to be for two years. And I still can’t say with any certainty what all the Lord accomplished through me in those two years or why he took us there. But I know this was his leading in my life, and that I obeyed, and that my husband and I were in agreement together on this move, so I trust the Lord accomplished his purposes in us being there for that period of time. I know that he gave me several opportunities to share the gospel with others there.

 

And all throughout my life, I have seen the Lord open doors in my life that seemed impossible, and I have seen him close doors, too, where he basically said my work there was finished, and then he had something else for me to do. So just know that nothing is impossible with God if it is within his perfect plan for your life. We just need to not try to force doors open he doesn’t want open or refuse to leave when he makes it clear that a door has been closed. And we need to never be afraid to step out in faith when he is clearly leading us in a certain direction, even if all the odds seem to be against us.

 

For Our Nation 

 

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

 

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

 

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

 

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

 

Men deceiving: We’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

 

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