Holding Steady at the Door
Mercy, friend, it’s so good to see you showin’ up today like a welcome patch of shade on a scorchin’ summer afternoon. I surely appreciate you stoppin’ by for a little while. I was just sittin’ here watchin’ a plump lil’ robin tryin’ to convince a stubborn ol’ squirrel to scoot on over and share a sunny spot on the fence rail. It made me grin and think about how good it feels when somebody shows up with a willin’ heart. So, now let’s git to talkin’ about Revelation 3:8, which says, “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.” That there’s a promise worth holdin’ onto real tight. And to help us see it even clearer, let’s weave in Psalm 37:23, which says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way.” When God opens a door, He doesn’t just shove you through it. He plum guides your steps and delights in part of the journey.
The church at Philadelphia in the book of Revelation had every reason to just be givin’ up. They sho’-nuff’ faced opposition from the outside, pressure from the inside, and probably a few loud‑mouthed critics that sounded like a rooster that crows at the wrong time of day. But they stayed real faithful. They kept the Word. They didn’t deny the name of Jesus. And, friend, that there’s the golden key. Stayin’ in love with Christ sho’-nuff’ keeps you real steady when life gits to tryin’ to knock you over like an ol’ hungry goat buttin’’ on an empty feed bucket to let the farmer know he wants somethin’ to eat.
So, how do we stay plum in love with Jesus? First, we gotta be keepin’ an active prayer life. We gotta be talkin’ to Him real often. Not just when life feels like an ol’ raccoon rummagin’ through your trash cans to see what he can find. Second, you gotta be stayin’ in the Word. Study it alone and with others. Third, you gotta be fellowshippin’ with other believers. You need folks who’ll encourage you, challenge you, and laugh with you when you trip over your own shoelaces. Fourth, you gotta be servin’. You gotta be doin’ somethin’ for the Kingdom. And fifth, you gotta be sharin’ your faith. You gotta be tellin’ somebody about the hope you’ve plum found in the Lord. It sho’-nuff’ strengthens you and also blesses them.
Father, thank You for open doors that no one can shut. Help me stay faithful, stay prayerful, stay grounded in Your Word, and stay in love with Jesus. Guide my steps and steady my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Alright then, friend, as you git on with the rest of your doin’s today, tuck this truth right where you can reach it real easy. God’s open doors aren’t ever rickety like a ol’ barn latch that’s too loose and wiggles every time a curious raccoon gits to leanin’ on it. They’re strong enough to hold real steady when life rattles you like a lil’ woodpecker tappin’ on a tin roof. They’re plum gentle enough to lead you when you git to feelin’ as small as a lil’ chipmunk peekin’ out from around a tree stump in the forest. And they are plum faithful enough to remind you that if you keep His Word and cling to His name, He’ll guide your steps, strengthen your heart, and open doors you never even dreamed were possible.
With joy,
Gwen
