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Day 282 Promise 751 Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things say he who is holy, he who is true, he who hath the key of David, he who opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens; 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them who dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man takes thy crown. 12 Him who overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. 13 He who hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. Most people are aware of the saying, ‘When God closes a door, somewhere He opens a window.’ Read verse 7 again. That’s not what God said. God said when He closed a door, no one could open it. When He opened a door, no one could close it. He didn’t close a door to open a window. That would be contrary to His work and word. Jesus told John to write to the church at Philadelphia. He told them they had an open door no one could shut. The church at Philadelphia had proven its faithfulness to God in the midst of trials and tribulations. Jesus told them He would keep them from the hour of temptation and all their enemies would worship at their feet. Too often in the heat of the battle, people are ready to give up, surrender to their opposition. When they do, they lose. Jesus told the church at Philadelphia to hold fast, not give up. Their battle was against Satan. By holding onto their faith, they earned a crown no one could take from them. Jesus also promised they would be pillars in His temple. He would put His name there, and the name of the city of God, New Jerusalem. He would also give them a new name. As Christians, you start out strong for Jesus Christ. You are ready to fight every battle Satan would bring against you. Yet, often your faith wavers. You don’t see the end; the reward Jesus offers everyone who stays the fight and will not back down in the face of the enemy. The Christians in Philadelphia knew the battle they faced. They knew the temptations, and how easy it would be to give in. Yet they remained strong. They didn’t allow temptation to steal their faith and love of Jesus Christ. You need to remain strong. You need to give the battle to God in prayer, in Bible study, by spending time with other Christians to strengthen your faith and encourage you to stay in the battle. When you do, God will reward you with a crown no one can take from you. Your enemy will recognize you as a formidable foe and will want to be seen with you, not to persuade you to leave your faith, but will point to you as one who did not back down. Isaiah 60:14 The sons also of them who afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they who despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Remember, the battle belongs to God. When you give it to Him, He will take care of you. He only requires that you remain steadfast in your faith. When you do, He will open doors no one can shut. He will give you a crown for your faithfulness, and you will be a pillar in His temple. Let’s pray: Father, help me remain faithful to You. Help me remember the battle belongs to You and You will go before me to wage war against my enemy, Satan. Let Your Word infiltrate every part of my life so I can stand fast for You and never back down from Satan. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 20 May 2021 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay