Day 177, Year 1

The Moment of Door Opening 

“I arose to open for my beloved, And my hands dripped with myrrh, My fingers with liquid myrrh, On the handles of the lock.” (Song of Solomon 5:5 NKJV)

In the study of traditional Chinese medicine, myrrh can relieve pain, reduce swelling, and promote tissue regeneration. In biblical times, people were well aware of the effect of this medicinal herb, which was also used as a perfume. The “myrrh” mentioned in today’s verse could be understood as a preparation offered to the Lord, as well as for the “I.” Having one’s hands full of myrrh might mean that the one opening the door could be freed from the toil and pain of the past. Indeed, there might be many times when our hands become weary and painful. If we opened our doors for Jesus with bruised hands, it would not be a joyful experience. Thus, it is better for us to have the bruises of the hands, or even other parts of the body, healed and anointed with fragrance before welcoming the Lord Jesus.

Today’s verse mentions a couple where the woman opens the door for her beloved out of affection. The door handle is a device found on any normal door. It symbolizes the key to the heart’s opening and closing, as well as human sovereignty. If our hearts have long been shut or have previously opened the doors for the wrong person, then we might need to seek the Lord’s healing before opening the door for the right One. Indeed, opening the door for the Lord is an act of faith, as we are opening our hearts to truly welcome Jesus. We need to understand the underlying key reasons or emotions in our hearts that determine whether we will welcome Jesus entering in or not.

The verse begins by pointing out that opening the door is an act of personal determination. When we hear Jesus knocking, feel positive, and consider Him our “beloved,” we would be willing to open the door for Him. We usually believe that Jesus is good before we open our hearts to Him. Thus, we need to first deal with all our dissatisfaction or even murmurings against Jesus in order to be willing to open our doors for Him, such that we will rise to open the door for Jesus regardless of how busy or painful we are. Willingly opening the door of our hearts for Him is a joyful experience, because we are so happy to welcome Jesus as our Master and Lord. Then we can encourage others to open their doors for Jesus, too, but they must do so willingly.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you feel the need for the Lord Jesus’ healing to first come upon you? If so, what areas in your life do you need Him to heal?

2) Before welcoming Jesus into your life, is there any dissatisfaction or resentment that you need to deal with?