How do you feel when you go to your best friends’ house? You are eager to see them. The lights are on, and both of their cars are in the driveway. Expectantly you walk up to the door as you hear sounds of merriment inside. Ringing the doorbell, you wait a while, then ring again. After another wait, you use the knocker on the front door. One of your friends walks by the door, glancing out the side glass. Although you know that he sees you, he still walks back into the house. I think anger would boil up in my heart. Why should I even try to be friends if he doesn’t care about me? I have had it with this friendship. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” Revelation 3:20, NKJV
Simply saving the name Joel is a one-word declarative statement affirming “Jehovah is God.” Throughout history, the Creator-God has been so misrepresented, ignored, and maligned that whenever someone says the name Joel with meaning and understanding, it must bring joy to His heart. Just read a little from Isaiah 53 and think how you would feel if you were Jesus. “He is despised and rejected by men….And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised and we did not esteem Him….He was oppressed and He was afflicted….He was led as a lamb to the slaughter” ( verses 3-7, NJKV ).
God’s greatest desire is to be friends with us. Our first step in developing that friendship is to say with meaning and understanding, “Jehovah is God, and He is knocking on my door”.
Come in, my Lord. I am truly sorry that I ignored You so long. Can we still be friends?
This is from the God of Wonders devotional by David Steen. Meditation from 28 September 2013.