Mensa Otabil - The Lord Holds the Key
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Yesterday we started talking about choices and the fact that God has set life and death before us. Today, we take a step further to discuss the Lord holding the key to the choices we must make. Revelation chapter 3, verse 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.» Jesus holds the key to the doors that must be shut and those that are open. So, if we’re going to make a choice, we must consider what He’s doing, what He’s opening, and what He’s shutting.
Now, I want you to imagine that you’ve been given access to a huge, advanced mansion. This big mansion has many rooms, and you are told to explore them and choose which rooms to enter and which rooms not to enter. Some of the rooms contain treasures; when you open the door and enter, you’ll find treasure. Some rooms contain traps, and when you open the door, you fall into a trap. You can just open the doors and explore the rooms. How do you determine which one has treasure and which one has a trap? If you don’t know, life becomes a gamble. It almost feels like you open one door, and there you go—you fall into a trap.
But can you imagine if the owner of the mansion says, «Well, I have the keys,» and as you approach each room, check the doors? The ones I have opened or unlocked, you may enter. The ones I haven’t unlocked are shut—do not enter. Just by that, you can choose the rooms that will give you treasures and avoid the rooms that will lead to traps. That’s what Jesus does for us; He says, «I have the keys; I can shut and I can open.»
In His message to the church of Philadelphia, Jesus says, «I am the one who holds the key; I shut and I open.» In our everyday decisions, we must look out for what God has opened and what God has shut. He determines which doors we must enter and which doors we must not enter. Every day of our lives, we wake up to new opportunities. Some of the opportunities are good; they are the ones that God has opened for us. God goes ahead of us and opens those doors.
Now, how do we know that this is a door the Lord has opened and not one that He has shut? It is very simple: Is it a door or an opportunity that honors God, or is it in conflict with Him? Is it in conflict with His righteous standards, or is it not? If you see a door that is open but has around it all kinds of activities that displease God, it cannot be the one that God has opened. So, watch out for the one who holds the key and see whether He is the one turning the door open or shutting it.
In the same way, every day in our lives, we see doors that look like great opportunities, but around them are thoughts, ideas, and concepts that, in our hearts, we know are not God’s way. As you read the Bible, you find out this is not God’s way. As you listen to the Holy Spirit, you realize this is not His way. When the Bible and the Holy Spirit tell you this door must not be opened, do not open it, because it’s a trap. But when the Bible and the Holy Spirit tell you it’s an open door, then go in, even if there is resistance or it comes with challenges. You know that according to God’s word and the Holy Spirit, this is a door of blessing.
To make the right decisions in life, we must acknowledge that there is a holder of the key who determines what is good for us and what is not. We must go to Him in prayer, study His word, and rely on His Holy Spirit, and that will indicate to us which door must be open to us and which door God is shutting from us. Even if it looks like a brilliant door, Adam and Eve thought that disobeying God was a good thing, but it got them into trouble. I’m sure Judas thought that 30 shekels of silver was a good deal, but it led him into trouble. You must determine from Jesus Christ, His word, and His Spirit which doors are open and which ones are shut.
Let us pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, you hold the key to what is right for me and what is not right for me. I trust you to open the right doors for me. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.» Don’t keep Christ out of your decision-making. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.