Daily EncouragementSample

The saints are secure in the ark of God, for it is the Lord himself who shuts them in. His hand upon the door is the assurance that the whole saving work is his. He rescues his people from the present evil age (Gal. 1:3), and they shall not perish beneath the flood of judgement. Their life is hidden with Christ in God, and no question hangs over their eternal destiny. At the same time the closing of the door speaks of the certainty and finality of divine judgement. There are two sides to every door; those who are not admitted remain outside, whether they are Noah’s contemporaries or modern men who spurn God’s mercy. When he shuts the door in judgement there can be no appeal, be it the hour when the hardened heart is confirmed in its way, or the time when an unrepentant sinner dies, or that final hour when the Son of man comes. The issues of judgement are complex and our minds may be disturbed as we think about the devastation of the Flood or listen to the pleading of the foolish virgins at the door, but through knowing the Judge we have peace in our hearts and minds. There is great comfort in remembering that the same hand which shuts unbelievers out also shuts believers in.