An unexpected knock at your door from a dear friend or family member is a welcome surprise. Few occasions are as precious as seeing a long-­absent loved one who comes to visit. “Here I am!” they say as you open your door, and their presence fills you with joy.

Jesus stands at our door, knocking. We may think sometimes that he is far removed from us and our church bodies. But he is, by his own revelation, as close as the door to our homes and our church communities. He wants us to hear his knocking—he is that close.

And Jesus longs for us to do more! He wants us to respond and open all our closed doors.

Maybe you are afraid to open the door of your life to Jesus. After all, how does one welcome the Son of God, the Almighty, into their whole life? Or maybe just having Jesus inside your church building is as close as you want him to be.

But Jesus keeps knocking, ­eager for us to open our lives to him. He wants to be as close as a beloved friend in our lives.

Do not worry about how to welcome Jesus in. Just open the door. He promises to take care of the rest. He will come in and celebrate with whoever opens the door, bringing joy and abundance so that your life will be filled—with even more than the greatest feasting, fun, and goodness of life you could imagine.