Choose the Right Keys

"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."
 Matthew 16:18-19

Maybe you have heard the old saying, "A key in the hand is worth a dozen in your other suit."  There is also, "Mind your p's and keys."  Or perhaps your favorite is, "People who live in glass houses should lock their doors."  These old familiar proverbs serve to remind you of the importance of locks and keys.  Some people want keys to get into things.  Other people, like those incarcerated, would like to have keys to get out.

People give us keys about who they are in many ways.  By their twang or drawl you can often tell what part of the country a person is from.  You can tell about their personality by the expression on their face or their pace as they walk.  We learn a lot about their interests by the books they read, and their character by the friends they keep.  Age may be revealed by the amount of wrinkles on a face, and importance by the number of keys one carries.

Keys may be deceiving though as to their importance.  A small brass key may open a tool box or it may open a treasure chest.  A shiny silver key may open the gate of a castle, or the door of a broom closet.  But if it is a key, chances are that it is important in some way to someone.

God holds several important keys.  They are unusually important because they can unlock the most desired treasures in the universe.  He has the key to the Hall of Happiness, the Porch of Peace and to the Safe of Salvation.  He has the bright and shining key to the Room of Resurrection.  If you know the great key keeper, he will give you these keys.

There are false duplicates to some of these keys that fail to open the doors.  Some carry keys to material possessions, power, fame or money and think they will open the same doors as God’s keys.  They use their keys in vain.  While they may open lots of doors in their searching, in the end they are still standing outside the rooms which hold the treasure.  Amazingly, many spend their lives searching the closets and storerooms of this world only to find frustration and hopelessness.

There is only one who holds the keys of life and death.  John told us of Him in his revelation: ..."Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Revelation 1:17-18  You see, one of God's keys is worth all the keys of men.  You cannot buy this key or earn it; it is only received as a gift to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

So, as you start opening doors in your life looking for the things that last, try the Key to the Kingdom.  It’s the only one works.

Prayer:

Father,
Guide us to the right places and through the right doors to the joy and peace that You have promised.  Take the wring keys from our hands to protect us from wasting our lives on the wrong things and in the wrong places.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.