Personal relationship…
“Behold, I stand at the door and continually knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him [restore him] and he with Me.” - Revelations 3:20
This print of Jesus knocking hung in my hometown church, my grandparents' home, and the hallway of my parents' home. Over the years, I saw the print repeatedly yet never fully knew its importance until recently, when God led me to study Revelations 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and continually knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him [restore him] and he with Me.”
This verse teaches us that Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts, wanting to be invited into our lives. The doorknob is from within; we are the only ones who can take the knob - open the door - and welcome Him into our hearts and lives.
Faith was foundational to my life while growing up on my family's cattle ranch outside Blaisdell, North Dakota. Until middle school, our family attended a small country church that shared the same pastor with a few neighboring parishes. Every Sunday, we met in the fellowship hall for conversation, and spring and fall seasons brought basement church dinners that gathered our neighboring communities. I loved the coziness of our rural congregations.
As I aged and moved outside my hometown, I found a church that felt like my roots. Its familiarity with how I grew up captured my heart and attention. In that same timeframe, God introduced me to a group of ladies who revolutionized my walk with Him. I was of faith, yet they had personal relationships with Jesus, and I wanted that. Their unique approach and passion drew me in. I was initially intimidated because I was so far behind them. Yet, as I inched toward where God was leading me, it led me to understand there’s a big difference between knowing God and knowing about God. With that realization, I made the commitment to God to start working with the Holy Spirit toward spiritual maturity - no matter how painful the cutting and pruning might be along the way. I wanted to live a deeper life that reflects that I’m a girl who spends time with Jesus.
“For His divine power has bestowed on us absolutely everything necessary for a dynamic spiritual life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” - 2 Peter 1:3
“The measure of thought and study you give to the truth you hear will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to you.” - Mark 4:24
These two verses and our leading scripture in Revelations guided me to embrace the fact that I can’t know God through someone else. I can learn about him through others, but to know him myself, I must habitually spend time hearing, studying, and meditating on His word and seeking His presence individually. Choosing not to have a secondhand relationship with God has been a silent game-changer that has profoundly transformed every aspect of my life. It’s strengthened and empowered me to intentionally live the qualities of Jesus in my daily life.
Friend, I am unsure where you stand with Jesus in your lifestyle, yet I urge you to listen. He’s knocking at your heart, just as He was knocking at mine. He desires to live in closeness to you. For you to lean on, trust in, and rely entirely on Him. This is the essence of faith anchored in a personal relationship with God - and trust me, when you turn the doorknob from within to embrace an ever-growing relationship, it will profoundly revolutionize every aspect of your life!
I’m led to close this message with a prayer I have been praying alongside my family unit since they were born. It’s found in Malachi 4:6, “Lord, turn our hearts toward our children and our children’s hearts toward us.” It's a silent game-changer when we see ourselves as children of the almighty God and turn our hearts toward Him. Embrace it!
“Dwell in me, Lord, so that everyone I touched is touched by you also.”
Intentionally Own It! Jesus, I surrender my life to you. I commit to being Yours—do with me what you want to. Thank you for this fresh start and Your unending love, forgiveness, and grace. As I begin a new walk with You, fill my heart with Your desire daily.
Photo by Averee Kreutzfeldt at Bar 33 Ranch, Blaisdell, North Dakota