The Open Door
By Shauna Leis
“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. 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.”
Revelation 3:7-8
Have you ever lost your keys and been locked out of your house before? It is a most frustrating and helpless feeling especially when it is your own home! It is even more frustrating when you are in a hurry to get inside for a particular reason.
Once when I was a teenager, my mom and dad had new keys made for the doors to the house so my brother and I would have our own keys. The problem was that the new keys did not work exactly like they were supposed to and required some “skill” to make them actually unlock the lock. I had come home from school one afternoon and tried and tried to make the new key work so I could actually open the door and come into my home. Of course I had to use the restroom so I was desperate to get inside.
To my chagrin, the key never would work. Thankfully, there is a window right off of the deck. Back then my mom and dad still had those really old wooden windows and sills that were easily jimmied up with some finagling. I worked the window sill up and finally made it into the house by a most ungraceful method. I am certain today that anyone watching had an incredibly entertaining afternoon watching this 5’3” girl hauling herself up through the kitchen window to get inside and making a very mad dash to reach the restroom!
Can I share with you some really good news? When you trust in our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the door to Heaven can never be locked. It is always open to those who love Him and proclaim Him as their Savior. The verse out of Revelation above indicates that He has placed before us an open door that no one else can shut. He alone holds the key. It is under His control and authority. My Friend, once you have accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord, no one can ever shut or lock that door before you again.
In John 10:9, Jesus says, “I am the gate (or door); whoever enters through me will be saved.” Also in John 14:6, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” Wow! Jesus not only controls the door and all who are allowed to enter through it – He IS the door! In pretty much every culture around the world, a door symbolizes a way to gain access to something. Jesus stands ready at the gates of Heaven to grant us access to the Father. Will you trust in Him today and follow Him through His open door? He so longs for you to enter the Father’s Kingdom and bask in eternity with Him.
Pray with me: Dear Lord, how honored we are that You stand before us today as the Open Door to the Kingdom of Heaven. We long to walk through to gain access to the Father. Our trust is in the fact that whatever You have opened and unlocked will forever remain opened and unlocked. You have all authority and all power. Our hearts wait in joyful anticipation of the day when we can actually walk through that door. We pray all of this in the precious name of You, Jesus Christ!