There is a saying that goes, “When the world closes a door, God opens a window.”  We say it to encourage those who are going through rough times and feeling dejected.  It’s also one that I never quite figured out – does God expect us to go around climbing out windows in life?  While I’m certain that God does look after us, I’m not always sure that he opens doors (or windows) for us in life.  Sometimes there are tough times that are just that – tough.  And while we can trust that God is the ultimate victor, that doesn’t mean that doors or windows here on earth will open for us to move forward in life.

The church at Philidelphia (the city of brotherly love) was one of those churches learning the hard lesson that to follow Christ was to be rejected by the world.  Because of their faith in Jesus, believers were kicked out of the synagogue.  They no longer had a place among what they believed were the true people of God.  To these faithful Christ brings a message of ultimate hope – the door is open to them.  The door to the local synagogue may be closed, but the door to the temple of Christ in heaven is open.  And if they endure, they will be a part of the temple of God.

Life may not be perfect.  We may not feel like we have a place here when we turn our life over to Christ.  But Jesus promises us that we do have a place in eternity.  The door is open for us to enter into the kingdom of God.