8 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.
The believers in the ancient city of Philadelphia learned an important lesson: even when your strength is almost depleted, you can still keep God’s Word and stay true to His name. Because they had lived their faith, they had put their faith into action, the Lord had removed the obstacles from their path. The door that stood in their way was opened in a way that it was impossible for anyone to close. I remember arriving at my office after my commute and realizing that I had left my keys at home and I was the only one who had a key. I had to travel home if I wanted to be able to get through the door. I remember pounding my feet and talking to myself very negatively. How could I have been so dumb! But none of that tantrum changed the fact that I could not get in my door, I had to travel home and retrieve the keys and return. These believers were worn out from their battle of faith. They had “little strength.” They had exhausted their own resources. They were just plain pooped! And yet they continued on with their keeping of the Word. They did not stop their obedience because they were worn out and tired. Because the demands of the Christian faith are simple, it doesn’t take much strength to continue even when we are low on strength. Since our belief is an internal commitment that gets translated into outward actions, that internal commitment can remain even if we are unable to carry it out in actions. If we become wheelchair dependent, we can still love the Lord and love others. We might not be able to go to other parts of the world to share the Gospel, but we can live a life that reflects the love of God we experience, even while sitting in a wheelchair. The outward expressions can change depending on our abilities, but our inward heart can remain true, even when our strength has failed.
The Arnold Journey 