When You Wonder If You Should Knock - The Crosswalk Devotional - October 24

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When You Wonder If You Should Knock
By Hannah Benson

Bible Reading:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, knock, and it will be given to you. For everyone who asks receives and the one who seeks finds, to the one who knocks it will be opened.” - Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV)

Since I was 10 years old, I deeply desired to be involved in the Christian film industry. This flame burned within me, ignited by movies like FACING THE GIANTS, FIREPROOF, and in more recent years, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE and JESUS REVOLUTION.

If you’ve seen any of these or other movies that have tugged at your heart, then you know what I’m talking about. As a young child, movies that gripped me emotionally and glorified God in the process never left my mind. I devoured these films and coaxed my family to watch behind-the-scenes content with me. I loved seeing what went into the process of making a film.

What would it be like to be part of something like that someday?

Before I was even a teenager, I’d filled pages in my prayer journal, asking God to allow me to be involved in the Christian film industry. I thought it was impossible, but I prayed for God to open the door someday.

Eventually, I stopped praying those prayers as often. The hope of serving God in film ministry hadn’t fully died, but I laid it to rest and pursued what God called me to in that season, which included serving in a Biblical drama ministry and writing.

Fast forward to the summer of 2024.

This burning desire to serve in the Christian film industry had only intensified, and I didn’t know what to do with it except continually take it to Jesus and lay it at His feet.

I wrote in my prayer journal: “God, if you want me in the film industry, you’re going to have to push me in there.”

Bold prayer, perhaps.

But then again, nothing is too bold for God.

What I didn’t realize was how God was working behind the scenes, putting all the details in place.

I’d had a longtime mentor whom I’d kept in touch with over the past several years. (He’d originally introduced me to the book that inspired my fiction novel that I’m now seeking representation for). As God would have it, he was also a screenwriter and film producer who moved back into my area and started co-producing a feature film with both his film partner and 3 of my good friends.

Should I ask him if there are mentorship opportunities in film?

Fear initially held me back.

What if now wasn’t the right time? Why would I do something crazy like that?

One September afternoon, I sat on my parents’ porch, overlooking the grassy fields and rocking gently back and forth.

“What do you want me to do, God?” I whispered.

There was no audible whisper in response. Instead, God impressed on my heart a vision of me standing in front of a closed door. He reminded me of the verse in Matthew 7:7-8 where it says: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, knock, and it will be given to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

In that moment, I knew I needed to knock.

My parents also encouraged me to reach out and ask, confirming what I knew in my heart.

After all, what did I have to lose?

Now, less than a year later, I choke up when I think of how close I came to never knocking.

Honestly, I never could have foreseen the doors that would open simply from that one “knock”. But God did.

I never could have imagined all the people I’ve gotten to meet and work with.

One simple “knock” turned into so many doors opened, including a remote work-from-home job at a digital marketing company on the other side of the country that I would’ve never found—and would’ve never found me—had it not been for God’s hand orchestrating every detail.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

How many times do we wait for God to make the first move? Yes, absolutely, there is a time to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Sometimes, there is nothing we can (or should) do to try to change our circumstances. As the Lord said in Psalm 46:10 (ESV) “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

But sometimes He puts before us a closed door, and He calls us to knock.

Sometimes, He calls us to be like the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8), to keep praying and to walk through doors God has opened for us. Sometimes, like in my own story, it wasn’t a clear open door. It was a closed door that God called me to knock on.

I knew it was a possibility that the door may never open.

But I also knew I didn’t want to let fear hold me back from knocking on a door that God wanted to open for me if only I’d been brave enough to ask.

Consider where God has you right now. Is He calling you to be still, trust in His sovereign plan, or to knock on a door He might want to open for you?

Dear Father, sometimes, I struggle to know exactly what You want me to do. Please give me discernment to know what You want me to do and to trust that it’s enough to just be still and soak in Your presence if that is the only thing You are calling me to in this season. After all, that’s what’s most important. Please show me if there is a closed door You want me to knock on and to be like the persistent widow. To not stop praying for Your will to be done and Your kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional encouraged or challenged you in your walk with Christ.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/lolostock 

Hannah L. Benson is a writer, actress, and content marketer with a passion for telling stories that glorify God and bring hope to your heart. As a writer, her work can be found in publications including the Rebelution, Her View From Home, Her Faith Arises, Inside Out Worldwide, and now most recently, Crosswalk. Her heartfelt writings have impacted countless women around the country. As one reader put it: "Hannah has a gift of sharing the depths of her heart in a relatable way with a deep understanding of the human heart." Connect with her on Facebook and Instagram @hannahlbensonwrites or visit her website at www.hannahlbenson.com.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com! 

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