“I (Jesus) am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave” (Rev.1:18)—and of every other door, portal, mystery, and challenge we will ever go through
Lord Jesus, we love your beautiful and bold affirmations in this verse. The “keys” that matter most aren’t in the hands of chance, evil, or fate. They are in your hands You will never say, “Oops” or “I didn’t see that one coming.” Even the “roll of the dice” (Prov.16:33), the “ordering of our steps” (Prov.16:9), and the fall of sparrows and follicles are under your control (Matt.10:29). “Death and the grave,” all history and our hope belong to you. Whew, and grant us the grace of acceptance.
The implications of these affirmations are far reaching, worry sabotaging, and hope igniting. We don’t have to fear getting older, global anything, meteors crashing to earth, rain falling on our parades, the next catastrophe, or our family not making it on the cover of “Kind Parents and Perfect Children.”
You have the keys, Jesus, because you are the key—the source, sum, substance, sustainer, and Savior. Abba has entrusted to you “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18). History is your storyboard of redemption and restoration. You don’t just have the keys, but also the steering wheel, GPS, chosen route, and perfectly timed arrival date, and eternal destination.
Forgive us for acting like impatient car-seated 3-year-olds asking, “Are we there yet?” Or annoying backseat drivers questioning your awareness, “Weren’t we supposed to turn back there, Jesus? You do know this is a 25 mph, zone, right?” Hallelujah, you aren’t slow to keep your promises—you are merciful (2Pet.3:9). Wow, are you merciful. So VERY Amen.