Has a season of your life come to an end? Perhaps a situation went terribly wrong, or you’ve lost a job or a precious relationship, leaving you hurt and disheartened? For whatever reason the season has ended, you can take heart knowing this: JESUS will come to guide you into a new beginning. Here’s the key. When He knocks at the door of your heart, open it—because when a season ends, Jesus walks in.
Give Him All Access
It can be difficult to turn to the Lord when you feel an important part of your life is over. Feelings of loss, loneliness, abandonment, and even anger can be screaming in your soul…while Jesus stands at the door of your heart, powerfully yet gently prompting you to trust Him. Do things His way.
In these moments, we must choose to invite Him into our wounded soul. Give Him access to every area. Jesus will never force His way in. Instead, He says, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends” (Rev. 3:20, NLT).
A Bittersweet Process
Turning away from your pain and turning to Jesus can be bittersweet—because you must reject your fleshly nature and embrace God’s way of doing things. But if you receive Him when He knocks on the door of your heart, He will heal your bruised emotions. He will walk into your brokenness and empower you to rise above your feelings. See a new and beautiful beginning on the horizon and start making your way there.
When Jesus walks in, He reminds you that if you will resist reacting negatively to a painful end, you’ll emerge stronger, filled with hope and faith. Negative reactions—like clinging to the past; denying the truth; being insecure and defensive; disrespecting and taking jabs at others, stubbornly trying to hurt or offend them—only exacerbate the pain of a season ending. They blind you to seeing and fully experiencing new, free, and better tomorrows.
At an ending, when you open the door of your heart and Jesus walks in, He starts your new beginning by doing a work in you. He comforts you; listens as you give all your cares to Him; and then generously gives you wisdom and grace to walk out the process. Whatever it may be.
It’s Time to Let Go
Another bittersweet part of saying goodbye to an old season is letting go. Our mind tries to hold on to what once was, but Jesus walks in and leads us in processing our pain. Taking the next step. Luke 24 shows us how He does this:
“That same day [when some of the disciples discovered Jesus had risen again] two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things [the Lord’s death], Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognizing him” (Luke 24:13-16, NLT, emphasis added).
First of all, those two disciples weren’t with the others who were hiding in a locked room after Jesus was crucified. Hiding in fear of what people would do to them. Certain everyone outside that door now despised them and meant them harm—but Jesus would soon come into that guarded space and start the process of NEW.
The two men on the road to Emmaus, however, were running away from their worst fears. Escaping what appeared to be a bitter end. They likely never wanted to look back or go back to Jerusalem. But as they walked and remembered the painful events, Jesus came into the mix. He walked in and knocked on the door of their hearts.
“He asked them, ‘What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?'” (v. 17). Knock. Knock. The rest of their conversation shows the process (see vv. 18-33). It is telling that they didn’t recognize Jesus at first, because oftentimes, neither do we when our emotions are trying to take over. But responding to the promptings of the Spirit in our time of need, as those men honestly responded to Jesus, also reveals the results of letting Him in.
Suddenly…Understanding, Peace, and Power
Luke 24:31-33a tells us, “Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! They said to each other, ‘Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?’ And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem…” (NLT).
My friend, Jesus still does the same thing today. If, when a season has ended, we open our hearts when Jesus knocks…He walks in and helps us process our pain. He leads us into a new, stronger beginning. Even if the new calls us to walk back to a once troubled place and, in faith, take the next step.
Jesus never walks away from us, especially when a season closes. He remains a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Jesus comes to us and knocks. When we open our heart, He walks in and leads us to overcome. He resolves a season that may have painfully ended and begins a new thing—both in and through us.
Would You Pray with Me?
Father, we come to You in the Name of Jesus, thanking You for Your faithful, everlasting love. When a season ends, help us to resist our emotions and come to you in prayer and worship. Help us to seek Your Word for wisdom instead of reacting in anger or fear. And, Lord, thank You for giving us the ability to hear Your voice in our heart. Thank You for giving us the desire and power to do things Your way instead of our own…and for blessing us when we do them. We love you, Lord. Amen.
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