“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and 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).

Jesus described this church as one that had an open door of opportunity in front of it. That wasn’t because of its exceptional strength because Jesus said of it, “You have little strength.” While it was a weak church in many ways it possessed two qualities that created opportunities for its future. It kept His word and hadn’t denied His name.

God isn’t put off if we seem to have little strength. Our strength isn’t the issue. He has strength enough for all of us. He is seeking individuals who will keep His word and not deny His name. When He finds individuals like that He opens doors of opportunity. Our focus isn’t to be on our strength, it is on trusting His word and honoring His name. That was John’s way of saying we are to trust what He says and who He is.

Jesus opens doors but we are the ones who walk through them. It isn’t difficult to take steps of faith when we trust what Jesus says and who He is. That’s more important than all the strength we can muster on our own.