Have you ever locked yourself out of your car or house or office? What did you do?
One
day, my husband Joe locked himself out of his office. I don’t think he realized
he was the last counselor in the building and that the front door was locked.
After going to his car to get a fork for his dinner, he realized he was locked
out. He didn’t even have his phone on him. He prayed about what to do. He then went
to the industrial trash bin area outside his office complex to look for
anything he could use to pick the lock. He found a couple things to try, but
made one more loop around the trash bin area and suddenly saw a key in the
rocks nearby. You guessed it! The key miraculously fit his particular office
door out of all the office doors in the complex!!! We praised God for “He Holds
the Keys” as the Christian song title says!!!
The early Christian church in Philadelphia faced much
bigger troubles than a locked door. However, Jesus reminded them that He holds
the key and will reward their perseverance.
Revelation 3:7-10 7 “To the
angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one
can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed
before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little
strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the
synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your
feet and
acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to
endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole
world to
test the
inhabitants of the earth.
Jesus recognized the weakness of the Philadelphia
church, worn down by continual persecution. He commended them for their patient
endurance and promised to redeem their reputation. He also promised to spare
them from a far worse trial.
If you are a follower of Jesus, He has made the same
promises to you. No matter what we suffer in this life, He will spare us from
eternal death and bring eternal justice on evil. How are you and I comforted
knowing this? What current situation is easier to endure knowing Jesus, as the
miracle key, holds the door to Heaven open for us?
