A few years ago, I was driving home from work when one of “those songs” came on the radio.
You know, the super catchy song that just makes you want to dance, buuuut if you listen too closely to the lyrics you realize how completely inappropriate it is?
My husband and I had plans to go to the temple for our date night that night.
I had the thought, “I really should change the station.”
But I didn’t.
Fast forward to sitting in the temple a few hours later.
I’m sitting in an endowment session, and sure enough, what song pops into my head? “That song”.
I couldn’t get it out of my head, no matter what I dd.
So I decided to pray! “Please, help me to get this terrible song out of my head so that I can feel the spirit!”
The reprimand I received was clear as day:
“You can’t ignore the Spirit’s promptings earlier in the day, and then demand the Spirit to help take away the natural consequences later.”
I was choosing to keep the door closed on my drive home from work. I wanted to enjoy the music in my car.
I heard the voice, the knocking, the prompting. And I didn’t open my end.
And then in the temple, I had ripped open the door, demanding that heaven now help me.
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
But I hadn’t listened to His voice and knocking earlier.
Christ WANTS to be standing at our door and knocking constantly.
But the scripture says, “if any man (1) hear my voice, and (2) open the door”.
We have to hear His voice and then open the door.
We can’t demand He be there at our whim while we deliberately ignore Him other times.
Now, this does not mean we have to be perfect, or even “worthy” to open that door.
Our Savior is willing to help us wherever we are at.
I needed to be reprimanded in that moment, but He still helped me to learn and ponder, and I received new impressions that evening.
But we have to listen for His voice and His knocking in our life. And then we gently respond by opening the door and letting Him in.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
