You don’t need to knock. Jesus has left the door wide open for you. The less strength you have, the more compassion and help you’ll find in him, and he will carry your burdens.
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The Holy Spirit uses the most unusual scriptures to encourage us.
Like what happened recently when pain started jabbing and biting. I couldn’t tell if my corset was too tight, or if I was sitting in a twisted position. Pain like that doesn’t bother me at first, but then, all of a sudden, I realize “Yikes, this is really hurting!” And that quickly, my strength; that is, my ability to keep going, keep smiling, keep persevering and keep moving forward – my strength just shrivels up. I simply have no strength. Well, I was having one of those days last week, and so, I flipped to a concordance to find comforting words from Jesus. And that’s when I came across an unusual Scripture in Revelation 3. It’s where Christ is speaking to the seven churches, and unlike the other six, he has encouraging things to say to the church in Philadelphia. Just listen; he says, "I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door which no one can shut. For you have only a little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."
As soon as I read those words “you have only a little strength,” it was like the Spirit was talking directly to me. And what a comfort to read that although my strength was depleted, Jesus was saying to me, so tenderly, “Joni, I know your deeds; I see how you have long persevered. I know that. I see that. And in all your struggles, you have not denied my name; you have kept my word. And so, I want you to know that I have placed before you an open door. You don’t need to knock; I’ve thrown it wide open for you. I realize and I recognize that you have only a little strength. But the less strength you have, oh, Joni, the more compassion and help you will find in me. So here, let me carry your burden.”
Oh, friend, never would I have dreamed that our Savior’s words to the church in Philadelphia would have such a timely application to me in my weakness! But not just me. I’m passing these words from Jesus on to you today. Because you may feel overwhelmed by a distressing trial; your strength may be gone, and you might feel ready to cave in. Well, Christ’s words to the church in Philadelphia are fitting for you right now. Because Jesus knows how you have persevered in the past and not denied his name. And he has placed before you this day an open door that you don’t even have to push against. He understands. He says to you, “… You have only a little strength, and yet.” And those words “and yet” tell you that God is ready to help you now.
Horatius Bonar, a Scotsman who lived in the 1800s wrote, “Hard and sore is our daily struggle! God sees us trying to master our weariness, yet often we are overmastered by it – and, as he sees us thus overwhelmed, he steps in to help. He opens the door – and he keeps it open – and cheers us with words of love.” Friend, I hope what I’ve shared today has blessed your heart. And you can find more encouragement like this in my new book “The Practice of the Presence of Jesus.” Because practicing his presence is often nothing more than keeping your spiritual eyes open for those unusual scriptures where God’s blessings are waiting for you. So learn more at Joniradio.org where you can download sample chapters from my new book. I’m excited for you to read it and again it’s called “The Practice of the Presence of Jesus.” Download your sample chapters at joniradio.org. Where our door is always open at joniradio.org. God bless you today and thanks for listening!
© Joni and Friends