Trusting Whether at Heaven's Door or the Gates of Hell
Misty River Ministries by Bart Metcalf
Some days ministry takes place at heaven's doors. The Lord is preparing hearts and giving you timely words. I had just such a day recently. I went to Kipiox where the person I was going to see ended up being unavailable. Instead I talked to his brother-in-law with whom I had never spoken about spiritual things. To my amazement he shared how he had once served the Lord, became discouraged and fallen away. I was able to listen to him and finally to join together in prayer with him. A disappointment became a door of opportunity ushering us right to heaven's door.
Another such moment came later that same day as I went to the house of the couple who to this point have responded more deeply than most to the gospel message. In the last few weeks we have started doing a children's Bible story with their two children after our more in depth study. At the end of our family time together Chucky remarked how quiet his son had been during the Bible story. It was evident that their young son was beginning to love the Bible stories being read. I told him my presence there was to model for him what he could start doing with his own family on a daily basis. He was thrilled.
Yes, some days are like standing on heaven's door and then some days are like standing at the gates of hell. None was more challenging than the day I sat in a court room and heard the judge pronounce a two year sentence on one of the young men with whom I had been working. Yet even in the midst of that I began to understand God's desire to show how he can change a life for His glory. My responsibility is to trust Him and give myself to prayer.
I am constantly reminded how I need to have a larger picture of God. I need to understand His sovereign presence even in the challenging and sometimes overwhelming circumstances of life. As I reflected on these things the scripture came to my mind from Psalm 91:1: "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him." No matter what is happening in our lives whether it's a day that seems like living at heaven's door, or like we're standing at the gates of hell... He is there with us and will teach us deeper trust in Him if we turn to Him in the middle of it all. He can be trusted!