Locked Gates

The Upper Room
Monday, August 04, 2008

The Locked Gate
Read Matthew 7:7-14

To him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory.
-Ephesians 3:20-21 (NRSV)

AS a friend and I approached the entrance to the retreat center, we noticed the gate was closed with a chain draped around it. We stopped the car and wondered what to do. We honked the horn, but no one responded. We pressed the doorbell, but no one answered. We tried to phone the caretaker, but no one picked up.
After 10 minutes, we were beginning to get frustrated as the hot South African sun climbed higher in the sky. My friend walked up to the gate again and toyed with the padlock. To his surprise, the chain was not locked! He swung open the gate with ease and we entered the grounds, laughing heartily at our foolishness.
Throughout our lives, we encounter many closed doors, barred paths, and shuttered windows. But sometimes we assume that they are locked up tight; we don't even try to open them first. Instead, like my friend and me on that summer day, we worry, fret, and sweat!
The truth is that we have the spirit of God within us. When we are bold enough to attempt what God asks, with God's help, we will find gates swinging wide, pathways clearing, and windows thrown open.
Wes Magruder (Yaounde, Cameroon)

Lord, give us confidence and courage to attempt what you ask even when gates appear locked. Amen.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do far more than we imagine.