A fire sprinkler head broke the other day in the ceiling of a gymnasium at my school. Water came pouring down, soaking the gym floor and flooding an adjacent hallway.
Somehow, the break tripped the fire alarm, causing two huge metal doors to come down on either end of a long hallway. The main wing of the school was no longer easily accessible from the classrooms. The office, library, gyms and cafeteria were all blocked. The only way to get to the heart of the building was to walk around from outside.
Maintenance workers tried all weekend to raise the doors, but to no avail. The building was safe, but the fire suppression system thought there was still a problem. So the doors stayed down.
Here’s a picture I snapped of the hallway. There was this, “The mall is closing now,” vibe about the whole scene.
As the day wore on, with no solution in sight, I heard myself pray, “Lord, raise the gates!” As soon as I said this it hit me, “Hey, that’s straight outta scripture!”
“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” – Psalm 24:7 (NIV)
A few hours later, two men from the company that installed the alarm system came to the rescue. They patched into a computer, which controlled everything, and the doors were up in no time!
Has something ever been broken between you and someone else? Between you and God?
In such circumstances the doubts can come pouring down— flooding your heart.
When this happens, the suppression doors often lower as well—cutting us off from others AND God. They’re meant to protect us. And they do…for a time. But occasionally the doors get stuck in the down position, even after it’s safe again.
If anyone wants to reach your heart they must go around the long way.
You want to raise the doors, but it’s complicated. So they stay down.
With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
Jesus – Matthew 19:26 (NASB)
Lord, raise the gates!
Here are some of my favorite “Raise the Gates” scriptures. Please share one of yours!
“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” -Ephesians 3:20-21 (MSG)
“I look to the mountains; where will my help come from? My help will come from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” -Psalm 12:1-2 (GNT)
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV)
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” – Lamentations 3:24 (NIV)
Photo by Alessio Rinella on Unsplash
Davids Daily Dose 
Comments
29 responses to “Lord, Raise the Gates!”
🤣😂🤣 Yes, very fishy.
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Amen.🙏. Thank you, Matcha!
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The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners
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Amen … I needed to read this post tonight. Thank you for the important reminder. Blessings 🙂
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Agreed. That’s why (at least in Christ) there is always hope! Thank you for stopping by this evening. I appreciate your reading and commenting. Blessings.
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Great analogy … and a good reminder of who ultimately has the power and authority in our lives. Even when the doors look (and are) shut, God can still open them with the press of a button!
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Amen! Thank you.
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😂😂😂 love this post, David. You always bring a smile to my face, your phrase reminded me of a movie 🍿 truly may the Lord raise the gates in my life.
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Gotta love Psalm 34!
I like the thought that the Lord comes even closer in our brokenness.
Thank you, brother.
I saw you just posted on your site. Headed there now! Blessings.
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This is a good reminder that Father God is in control of all situations, no matter how desperate they are. Thank you brother for this today! My chosen verses for your collection come from Psalm 34:
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
— Psalm 34:18-19
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Thank you. God opened the gates for us. How true!
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I am overwhelmed and blessed that God never shuts the gates on us! Like LadySag77 sag, this is shiny and brilliant!
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Yes indeed, a solider in God’s army. A fighter for the Light🌠 I love it🤗💛
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Thanks again, Maria. Many call St. Ignatius the “Soldier’s Saint,” because he was first a knight in the Spanish army before becoming a priest.
Blessings.
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You’re welcome, Tina. Sometimes,God is the only one who can Raise the Gates. I guess that was the point of my story.
Side note: when I tried to type “Tina,” my phone autocorrected it to “tuna.” How fishy.
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Thank you for this, David. It was very comforting. I can always use the reminder to Trust God for help.
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Thank you, Barb. It’s a great school. Large, but great.
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Great visuals to drive the point home. Love the neon in the hallway!
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Ah yes, to allow it to breathe. Conscious breathing when I pray and recite mantras helps balance me indeed. I’m familiar with St. Augustine (the beautiful city here in Florida) and his words, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” “I was not yet in love, yet I loved to love… I sought what I might love, in love with loving.” In loving God, I love others and forgive them as Ge so unconditionally forgives and loves us ❤
I will look for St. Ignatius in my Nana’s Bible. She passed over 15 years ago yesterday (St. Patrick’s Day 💚☘) and her leather bound Bible with all her hand written notes are my treasures. I’m so grateful for your insights David. May peace and blessings be with you always 🙏
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Ah, to let it breathe! Breathing through the tough times is important and when I practice conscious breathing, I pray and recite my mantras. I’m familiar with St. Augustine (and the beautiful city here in Florida) “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” “I was not yet in love, yet I loved to love… I sought what I might love, in love with loving.”
I am in love with loving God and seeing Him in others is what helps me forgive and love others as He does us all so unconditionally.
I will look up St. Ignatius. My Nana passed 15 years ago yesterday and her leather bound Bible, with all her hand written notes was left to me. She often directs me through its marked pages, and I bet she has notes on him. I’m always so grateful for your insights David. Blessings and peace be to you 🙏
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Amen, Maria! I love the prayers of St. Francis! St. Augustine and St. Ignatius have some great ones too.
Your gear jamming/ heart lock analogy makes me think of my dad’s old Dodge pickup that had vapor lock issues. The secret was to take off the gas cap for awhile. Blessings.
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Yes David, beautiful analogy 🥰 Life gets complicated messy and sticky at times. It seems our gears get jammed and fates lock on our hearts. Keeping an open heart is when I invite God and his angel helpers to lift me back up, hold me in grace and show me the way to live in love. My Dad’s favorite prayer is by St. Francis and I often find myself in times like the one you described silently reciting it. God uses us as instruments for peace, joy and love. When I become aligned with His purpose for me, I can let down my walls and forgive. Seeing the world through the eyes of compassionate understanding. The gates or walls we construct are an illusion to keep us separated from each other and God. Love is what we all have inside to share. To shine our lights. This post is brilliantly shiny my friend ✨ 💛🙏🤗
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Thank you for sharing your “middle man” story, Gary. It’s a redemptive one, indeed. How wonderful that your friends were able to reconcile before one of them left the planet.
You shoot great pictures and take people outdoors. Sounds consoling enough to me. Blessings.
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Oh gosh, sorry I forgot the address! Yes, Isa 43:19.
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What a great spiritual analogy David. It’s real life.
Two good friends of mine were best friends since childhood. They had a falling out and walls up for 15 years until a couple years ago through a series of events their gates were raised, kind of. I had a small part working both ends of the relationship. Nudges. Prayer.
A couple weeks ago one brought the other to the doctor and in the waiting room they had tears and confessions and much regret expressed. They had a week of visiting with one another and were together when ones heart gave out. My friend called me minutes later to just talk. I was the middle confidant for both. I reminded my friend that they both had the same heart condition so make use of your time left. He reminded me that i was never good at consoling people. He’s probably right.
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That’s a great scripture, Lorie! Is it from the book of Isaiah?
Thank you for sharing.
Blessings.
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Hi David, I loved the thought of God lifting the gates. Here’s one I like:
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
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Thanks, Mandy. I am grateful for your visit!
Blessings.
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I have no verses to contribute but wanted to say, “excellent post, David!” I appreciate your pictures as well! Really gives flesh to your text!
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