He Brought Us Out to Bring Us In

Doors...

Doors lead you from one place to another. You go from outside to inside through a door. You move from this room into the next through a door. It's a way to leave one place and enter another.

When I was a child we used to sing a song, "One door, and only one, and yet its sides are two. I'm on the inside, on which side are you?" In our church, being in was having salvation through Christ.

Christians also often refer to death as a door that leads from this life into God's presence.

Many of us, when faced with decisions begin to look at the options, and as those options begin to fade from possibility, we call it "a door is closed."

So for everyone, doors are great metaphors. This is not new knowledge, but I hope that these words will bring encouragement and inspiration to you at this moment in your life.

The other day, I was reading the Bible, in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 6. In this book, Moses is recounting much of the journey that the people of Israel have been through as they prepare to enter the Promised Land and have a change of leadership. He is encouraging and challenging them in his narrative.

Now, this chapter is early in the book and usually the focus is on the Shema of verse 4: "Hear, Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" This is followed of course, as we recall Jesus teaching us by the words, "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

But as Moses expounds on these words and the need to pass them down to each succeeding generation, he mentions the time when the children would ask, "What do these things mean?" The answer was to begin with a recounting of God's leadership of the people from the land of Egypt and in verse 23 these words jumped out at me: "He brought us out of there in order to bring us in..." Well... that seemed pretty obvious, but deeper thought showed me the greatness of these few words.

We've all been somewhere physically, emotionally, spiritually that we didn't want to be, didn't need to be, or shouldn't have been, and many of us have experienced deliverance from that "place." OK, if we're honest, some of us are probably still in one of those places looking for, even longing for, deliverance. There's even a strong possibility that we might find ourselves there again.

That's why I find these words so encouraging! God "brought us out to bring us in," into a land of promise, a place of fulfillment, of joy, of peace...

In unpacking these words, I see at least 2 things that we are called on to do and a promise.

1. Remember what God has done in the past. "We were slaves...and the LORD brought us out." (verse 23)
2. Obey God. "So the LORD commanded us to follow all these statutes..." (verse 24)
3. Righteousness will follow obedience. "It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to follow..." (verse 25).

It made me think of an old song that I just had to find. I got excited watching YouTube videos of it. Then I started playing and singing it along with them. Actually based on the words of Psalm 40:2, it seemed to fit this Deuteronomy text as well.

"He brought me out of the miry clay,
He set my feet on the Rock to stay;
He puts a song in my soul today,
A song of praise, hallelujah!

1. "My heart was distressed ’neath Jehovah’s dread frown,
And low in the pit where my sins dragged me down;
I cried to the Lord from the deep miry clay,
Who tenderly brought me out to golden day.

2. "He placed me upon the strong Rock by His side,
My steps were established and here I’ll abide;
No danger of falling while here I remain,
But stand by His grace until the crown I gain.

3. "He gave me a song, ’twas a new song of praise;
By day and by night its sweet notes I will raise;
My heart’s overflowing, I’m happy and free;
I’ll praise my Redeemer, Who has rescued me.

4. "I’ll sing of His wonderful mercy to me,
I’ll praise Him till all men His goodness shall see;
I’ll sing of salvation at home and abroad,
Till many shall hear the truth and trust in God.

5. "I’ll tell of the pit, with its gloom and despair,
I’ll praise the dear Father, who answered my prayer;
I’ll sing my new song, the glad story of love,
Then join in the chorus with the saints above."

("He Brought Me Out" by Henry J. Zelley and H. L. Gilmour)

My heart, my soul, my spirit were encouraged as I read and sang that day.

Doors are good. God is at work "bringing us out to bring us in." Hallelujah!

Blessings,
Richard

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