40 Day Daniel Fast Day 10

1 Corinthians 16:8-9  But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

Is every opportunity a great one to take? Some of us find ourselves with business ventures presented to us at times, and we have to weigh whether it will be good enough to give time to it or move on? One of the number one things we consider is the profit; how much money can I get from it! The question remains, is every opportunity a great one? While you are considering those options, here is something you don’t have to think about; a chance that involves effective work that we don’t need an advisor for. No financial consults, all we need is a wide-open door. Notice Paul’s situation here, Paul is writing this letter from Ephesus and had plans to stay there until Pentecost, and then he would make his way to Corinth by the winter. What stopped his plans was, as he described, a wide-open door!

Are there some opportunities in your life right now that can be considered a wide-open door? You are working, and you have a co-worker sitting with you every day at lunch, and they seem to talk with you all of the time about how bad life is; guess what that is? A wide-open door! It’s a wonderful time to talk with them about God, who can help them at this moment. You may be living on campus and friends are wondering why aren’t you doing the same things they are doing; all of the explorings that go on in college. Guess what this is? A WIDE-OPEN DOOR! What is the point I am making? There are times when God places us in positions where we have wide-open opportunities right at our door. We have to be ready to work!

Lastly, Paul uses the Greek word “energes” which is active, effective, and powerful. What is Paul saying? He is saying he was presented with an opportunity to work the gospel! He is letting us know that whatever plans I had didn’t matter; I recognized this plan as a God plan and saw this opportunity as a God one. Christ Bible Church, we have a school in our building, a WIDE OPEN DOOR of opportunity has been opened to us. How are we to use this opportunity? Can we spend the day praying about this opportunity that the Lord would use us as an instrument to change lives for the better by presenting Christ to those children who show up to our building every weekday to learn!

Challenge
What doors has the Lord opened WIDE for you to do effective work? Is it with a co worker? An unsaved spouse? What about a child?
Is there a gift and skill you have that comes naturally to you that you can use for the work of the Lord?

Read
2 Corinthians 2:12
Colossians 4:3