The Open Door

 

The open door represents opportunity

An opportunity of a lifetime,

It’s an opportunity one should grasp,

There is so much on the line.

Life is replete with open doors

And those who grasp them will progress

But failure comes to those who miss

And they are denied much success.

Education is an open door

Therein lie great opportunities

But the one who refuses to enter therein

Will not benefit from its facilities.

Another opportunity is community

The opportunity to live with others

But should such an opportunity be refused

Then life can become a great bother.

A third I will mention is friendship;

A great opportunity is making friends,

Albeit we must be sensible in this regard

Or we can come to a dismal end.

These are but three of the open doors

That are available to a man

And it is to people’s mutual benefit

When they incorporate these in their plan.

But there is an open door of opportunity

That has eternal dimensions

And daily we are seeing the fallout

By those who respond with dissension.

It’s an opportunity far more important

Than the three already mentioned,

It is key to this life but also the next

And everyone should pay attention.

For what profit is it to a man the Bible says

To exchange his soul for the world?

For his soul is of ultimate importance

And this is clearly stated in God’s word.

Turn to Matthew 16 and verse 26

There a rhetorical question is asked

Which suggests quite clearly to you and me

That our soul’s salvation is our primary task.

And so the opportunity of all opportunities

Is about taking the Saviour on board,

The great door of opportunity I speak of

Is taking Jesus at his word.

“I am the door,” he says in his word

While speaking of the soul’s redemption,

And if a man would enter therein

He would receive his eternal salvation.

Referring to the door in another place

Jesus said he is the door of the sheep,

By now you should have grasped the opportunity:

The open door of which I speak.

Time is of the essence my friend

This open door is only during one’s lifetime,

But in safeguarding our eternal destiny

It is the only one of its kind.

I implore the reader of this poem

The neglect your soul you can ill afford,

If you understand your need right now

Please do not ignore the open door.

This open door is not only the Shepherd

But he is also the sacrificial lamb,

Slain before the foundation of the world,

Slain to redeem fallen man.

He stands at your heart’s door and he waits

For you to open your heart to him,

Walk through the door by opening your door

And let the Saviour of life come in.

Stewart Russell © March 2019

Satan Comes Knocking

Satan came a knocking

He was knocking at my door,

I knew the sound of his knock

He had done so oft before.

Not once or twice or thrice

For he was quite insistent

That I should open my door

And stop my accustomed resistance.

Yes often he would come

In all sorts of forms and fashion,

To tempt me was his desire

To get me to yield was his passion.

Sometimes I eased the door open

To get a little peep

Then shut it back in a hurry

Before in my door he could creep.

Sometimes he’d wear me down

And I would leave the door ajar

But before he could enter

I would push across the bar.

Eventually it became a game

Somewhat like cat and mouse,

He would just come a knocking

Asking to enter my house.

This particular day in question

He came a knocking as usual,

He had planned in great detail

In case there was another refusal.

I was just sitting doing nothing

When I heard his first attempt,

I quickly put it out of my head

For to yield was not my bent.

The knocking became louder

It began to stir my heart,

“Just a little taste of what he offered

And then bid him to depart.”

  

Such was my initial thought

“No harm in a little taste.”

After all it was not my intention

To give him a prominent place.

“What’s wrong with a little fun?

It’s just a cat and mouse game,

I am sure I’ll be the winner

And Satan will limp away lame.”

This was just what he wanted

Enough to keep me engaged

In this battle he was waging

He was well placed at this stage.

Yes I was losing ground

I had played around too long

Now Satan was moving ahead,

In a while he’d mow me down.

I pushed the door wide open

And he simply barged right in,

My guard slipped and I was trapped

I had committed sin.

There was no heinous laugh

As some would want you believe

Just a mere nod and “I’ll be back,

Next time better you will receive.”

Satan is a master at what he does

He uses a variety of knocks,

His approaches though basically the same

Are designed to get past your blocks.

On your own he’ll eat you up

Just like the proverbial cat and mouse,

Keep your door securely locked

Don’t let him into your house.

Let me finish this episode

For really the narrative does not end,

Satan just knocks and knocks again

He can drive you round the bend.

That’s not the only time I’ve erred

And opened the door to him

But each time I’ve called on the Saviour

And repented of my sin.

I confess I am getting better

Though Satan’s knocking still persists,

I am drawing closer to my Lord

And learning how to resist.

I’m learning to spot the red flags

And differentiate between the knocks

And when slew foot comes a calling

I run to my Saviour, the Rock.

For our sin Jesus died on Calvary

But now he is alive forever more

So when Satan comes a knocking

Let Jesus answer the door.

Stewart Russell © October 2017