On June 6, 1981, Doug Whitt and his new bride, Sylvia, were escorted into their hotel’s fancy bridal suite in the wee hours of the morning. In the room they saw a sofa, chairs, and table, but no bed. Then they discovered the sofa was a hide-a-bed, with a lumpy mattress and sagging springs.

After a fitful night’s sleep they woke up in the morning with sore backs. The new husband went to the hotel desk and gave the management a tongue-lashing.

“Did you open the door in the room?” asked the clerk.

Doug went back to the room. He opened the door they had thought was a closet.
And there, complete with fruit baskets and chocolates, was a beautiful bedroom! *

How often WE miss out on life’s greatest blessings because we are looking
in “the wrong room.”  We often look for happiness and fulfillment in the world.
But, we’re looking in the wrong place!

The world offers many pleasures…  Some are acceptable to God and some are not.  A beautiful sunset, the majesty of mountains, brightly colored flowers, inspiring music, etc. are great blessings to man.  But some are sinful in God’s sight.  These are the “pleasures” of which John writes:

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love
of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever”
(1 John 2:15-17).

The greatest blessings in life – things like peace, love, forgiveness, and hope — are NOT found in the world; they are found in Christ!  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

And Jesus is the DOOR through which we must enter to receive these truly great and lasting blessings (John 10:7-9).  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Our SIN is that barrier that keeps us from the abundant life now and eternal life to come.  But Jesus died on the cross as payment for our sins (Ephesians 1:7).
If we will submit our lives to Him in faith (Acts 16:30-31), repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confession (Romans 10:9-10), and baptism (immersion) in His name (Acts 2:38), then our sins are washed away by His blood and we are found in Christ, where all spiritual blessings are enjoyed!  And, if we will live faithfully to Him, He will lead us to eternal life (1 John 1:7)!

Have YOU been looking in the wrong room?  Enter through the Door of Life on God’s terms and you’ll find, by God’s grace, the greatest blessings of all.

Won’t you?

— David A. Sargent,