Open Doors and Opposition

This year I am reading two devotionals as part of my devotional time with Father. As I once heard Chuck Swindoll describe a book they are both "little books with big fists". One is Henry Blackaby's "Experiencing God Day By Day". The other is Selwyn Hughes "Every Day Light". This morning the two joined forces to nail me on a specific issue, namely, open doors.
Blackaby zeroed in on 1 Corinthians 16:9 "For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." Hughes followed suit with pointing out that Jesus was always headed to the "next village" (Ex. Luke 9:56), but the "next village" was never His ultimate goal. I quickly recognized my guilt in not looking for the open door, not taking it or taking it grudgingly because of the opposition, not realizing that one open door leads to the next (and it's corresponding opposition) and finally for looking at the "next village" as the goal when in reality it is not the ultimate destination. Four direct hits in two short pages.
I am especially amazed that when the open door comes there seems to always be opposition. Can we be honest for a moment? More often than not I have seen that opposition come from INSIDE the church rather than from the world and it's flawed systems.
I ask you today to join me in looking for the open door. Join me in taking it without grumbling or complaint. Join me in committing to NOT be part of the opposition.
Side note. As I read Acts and the letters of Paul, one of his greatest tests of opposition came in Ephesus. That church became one of the strongest of Paul's church plants and the base of many of His missionary journeys. It was the sight of His longest recorded stay, the longest farewell before His fateful trip to Jerusalem and his strongest support base.