John 14:23 – Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (ESV)

I guess that most everyone is familiar with the William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) picture, "The Light of the World", painted after he became a Christian. If one is not, there are various links on the Internet. Of note is the fact that there are brambles over the door, showing that it has not been used for a long time, and there is no doorknob on the outside. It is a picture charged with imagery. Below the picture is a plaque attached which reads:

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20 KJV)

The door represents the human heart, the centre of our conscious emotions and being. For me, I sense that Jesus is standing, listening, awaiting a reply.

I mention the above pre-conversion picture because I had a picture in my mind the other day. It was a house in the dark, viewed from outside, with a light shining out through the window upstairs. It transpired later on that the light radiating outwards was Jesus. I looked inside the downstairs window and the house was empty. I guess the owner was out! Maybe they had gone out shopping?

Then came the realization that it was my house, my life, and I was the one who was out of my own spiritual home, apparently enticed into some prodigal spend-fest focused on mammon!

I realized that it was time to come back. Jesus was waiting, in anticipation of my wising up and resetting my priorities.

As the above verse shows, when we allow Jesus in, He is always here with us, even when we spiritually go walkabout.

I believe that Jesus waits patiently by the door, ready to receive us home again. He is willing to take all that baggage off our shoulders, sit us down to have a chat, and give us a cup to sup of life-giving water to refresh our weary beings.

Maybe today is a good time to clear the doorway, take a load off, and have a chat?

Prayer: Lord, it is great to know that we can walk with You because You are always with us, even when we go walkabout. Please forgive us all those things that are not of Your choosing for us. Grant us release and freedom from all those sins and things that may have entangled our bodies and minds, so that we can be once more at home with You today, open to hear Your voice. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Rod Marshall <roderickhenrymarshall@gmail.com>
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
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