OPEN DOORS AND A LITTLE STRENGTH
Revelation 3:7-8 NKJ
7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens": 8 "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
This chapter contains the message to the church of Philadelphia. This was the only message to the churches without a rebuke or a correction. The messages to the churches are pretty stout. But it seems as if this Philadelphia church is doing well.
The Lord starts by proclaiming that He is holy, and He is true. They don't get any holier and truer than Jesus. Jesus states that he has the key of David. I am uncertain as to what the key of David is. But Jesus is quoting from the book of Isaiah 22:22. In that verse, the key of the house of David is mentioned. And that the one with the key shall open, and no one can shut. And shut and no one can open.
Jesus states that He is the One who opens and shuts, and no one can reverse that. He also states in verse eight that He had set before the church an open door, and no one can shut it. Paul mentions doors that were opened to him," Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord." (2 Corinthians 2:12). The references to door seem to indicate opportunities to preach the gospel. Paul also asked for prayer in Colossians 4:3 that "God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ…" It appears that the doors that the Lord opens are doors of opportunity. This makes me think asking the Lord for open doors is a good prayer project. Or even asking what doors have you opened to me Lord? And I am pretty sure that when we tried to start a church in my hometown many years ago, that was a shut door. Note to self; do not try to open doors the Lord has shut.
Jesus gave his perspective on strength in this verse eight. He said the church in Philadelphia had a little strength because they kept His word and did not deny His name. In Jesus' eyes, it takes little strength to keep His words and not deny Him. The best thing for us to do is not make keeping His word and denying His name a big thing. If we make obeying His word this major endeavor, we are setting ourselves up for failure or giving up. But, hey, keeping God's Word and staying true to Him only requires a little strength. So maybe a better perspective is I have the strength to keep his words. I can do this. And as I do, I become stronger and stronger. Assuming we have the capacity to do what God decrees in His word is putting ourselves on the winning side from the start. We are much better off considering ourselves to be strong people. Thinking of ourselves as weak is not humility; it is debilitating.
The church at Philadelphia was on the right track. Jesus instructed them to hold fast to what had been given to them and to continue to persevere. As we read these letters, we get a bigger sense of what the Lord wants for His people.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You that I have the strength to keep Your word, and I will identify with You and not deny Your name.