God’s “Open Door Policy”

Friday   10-09-15  Casares, Malaga, Spain

Scripture reading:    Neh 1-2    Ps 133-134     Luke 22

S=Scripture O=Observation A=Application P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  Neh 1:8-9  “...you told your servant Moses: 'If you sin, I will scatter you among the nations.  But if you return to me and obey my commands, even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’”  NLT

O.  Nehemiah is distraught about the condition of Jerusalem and confesses in repentance his own sins and those of his people.  He stands upon the God’s promise of forgiveness given to Moses centuries earlier.

A.  Throughout the Holy Scriptures God is presented not only as a God of justice, He is a God of mercy and grace.  I always have the option of repentance and forgiveness.  Repentance, however, is more than weeping for our wrong doing, it includes the words “return to me and obey my commands.”  My feeble attempts to “obey” is not enough.  I always fall short.  Oh!  But I can “return” to Him!  The door is open.

P.  Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your “open door policy”.   I am so self-centered, so bent toward my own ways.  But You, at the cost of the torture, disgrace and death of Your Own Son... have opened the door of total forgiveness to every sinner.  That door is represented by the cross.  Today, men are clamoring to bring down the cross from view.  They say, “You can’t leave that cross there on public property.  Tear it down or we will do it for you!”  But, oh!  That cross is a symbol of my open door to “return to You.”  With a broken spirit like that of Nehemiah I can “return to You” and find the wonderful gift of total forgiveness and cleansing.  Hallelujah!  Amen.

Ralph