Focus: Open Doors

Text: Isa.22:22

"And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open."

It requires open doors for a man to succeed in this life, whatever it is he is engaged in. Success in business, profession, career, academics or ministry comes through open doors. Life must open up for one to succeed in this life. Even the body of a pregnant woman must open for the child in her womb to be born. If her body for any reason refuses to open up for the birthing of the baby, then surgery is required to get the baby out, which is another form of opening.

It is absolutely in the hands of God to open doors or grant the keys that open doors. 

He is the opener of closed doors, closed books, closed hearts, and closed opportunities. The psalmist prayed, "OPEN thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law" (Ps.119:18). He is the opener of our understanding. Luke reports, "Then OPENED he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures" (Lk.24:45). The two disciples testified, "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he OPENED to us the scriptures?" (Lk.24:32). John was told by one of the twenty four elders, "Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to OPEN the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof" (Rev.5:5). He opens doors and books.

This world is full of people who daily struggle to make ends meet, but all to no avail, because doors are shut against them. Hagai tells us that even the little income we manage to make disappears through the holes in our pockets or bags. Peter painfully complained to the Lord that they had toiled all through the night and caught nothing. That is effort without effect. They were unable to catch any fish. The sea of Tiberias was closed against them. The psalmist says, "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows…" (Ps.127:2). The psalmist knows the vanity and frustration of rising early to and retiring late from work, and yet, having nothing to show for one's hard work.

In the book of Revelation, John deeply lamented that there was no man able to take the book and break off the seals. Humanity needs an open book for her issues to be addressed. At the starting point of Jesus' ministry, the heavens opened up to Him. Matthew writes, "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were OPENED unto him…" (Mt.3:16). He didn't have to labor under a closed heaven for a moment. Apart from the fact that the heavens opened up to Him, John writes about Christ, "These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth" (Rev.3:7). The key to David's throne is in the hand of Christ, and with that key He governs over the affairs of the people, and by that key He will eternally sit on the throne and succeed as the King.

The moment the heavens opened up for Peter to catch a revelation of Jesus' identity, the Lord Jesus Christ handed out to him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. A key is required either to lock a door or to open it. It is with the key of prayer and the knowledge of God's word that Elijah closed and opened the heavens in Israel. No one can access a locked door without a key.

Tithing is one of the keys that God uses to unlock heaven's doors or windows to release His blessings to His people. God says, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not OPEN you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Mal.3:10).

The Jews in the days of Hagai labored under a closed heaven. They got little or nothing from their labors due to spiritual negligence. They abandoned the house of the Lord and pursued their personal goals and personal interests. Hagai says, "Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit" (Hag.1:10). 

We need keys to function in this life. We need open doors which only the Lord can make possible.

The Lord Jesus Christ declares, "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an OPEN DOOR, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name" (Rev.3:8).

No one succeeds under a closed heaven. Open heaven means that success is guaranteed. It means that you can bank on the support and blessing of God, and that is why the enemy hates to see you having an open door before you. Paul says, "For a GREAT DOOR and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries" (1Cor.16:9). Don't let adversaries take over your open doors, because you need open doors to succeed in whatever you do!

Open door is key to securing success in any field of human endeavor. We succeed with open doors, but we struggle with closed doors. Ask God for an open door today. Ensure that you have the kind of goals that God would gladly and proudly support. He doesn't grant open doors for ambitions and agendas that don't align with His ultimate will. His will is a priority, and open doors are given to those who are willing and committed to fulfilling His will on earth.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter