Have you ever lost your keys? Keys are something that we take for granted until they’re missing and we’re stuck. Rachel and I have a very similar set of keys, and sometimes one of us will mistakenly leave the house with both sets. If one of us is in a rush, it can be a bit frustrating to have a car sitting in the driveway but be missing the key to start it and get moving.
Most of us have had the experience of standing at the door of our own homes when we realize we’re missing the key, and we’re unable to get in. Jesus said we’ve been given the “keys of the Kingdom”, giving us heavenly access and spiritual authority. Even so, there are times when we feel as though we are standing before a closed door with everything God has promised on the other side. Even though it’s our house as sons and daughters of the King, we can feel stuck on the front porch as we fumble around looking for a way to gain access. Of course, we know that all of our access is based on the blood of Jesus alone, just as you have access to your own home because you’ve paid for it. There is no argument there at all. But I believe that sometimes the key of giving thanks is missing from our kingdom key rings, keeping us back from God’s provision.
It’s God’s will for us to give thanks in everything. “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thess. 5:18).” When things are going well, praise is overflowing from our hearts and this verse is, well, easy to do. When we’re facing challenges, difficulty, or seemingly closed doors, praise is a sacrifice. In both kinds of circumstances, it’s God’s will that you give thanks. When we do, here’s what happens:
“He who brings an offering of praise and thanksgiving honors and glorifies Me; and he who orders his way aright [who prepares the way that I may show him], to him I will demonstrate the salvation of God”.
-Psalm 50:23, AMP
This verse is saying that when we bring an offering of thanksgiving to the Lord, it prepares the way and opens the door for Him to show us His salvation, deliverance, and victory. Praise opens doors that we thought were shut, and creates a way where there seemed to be no way.
It’s God’s will that you give thanks, because it’s God’s will to bless you, give you victory, and open up doors in your life! Having a response of thanks in all things opens the door for victory, where the opposite response prevents us from receiving from the Lord.
This reality is described in the Bible as the Key of David. David was a man after God’s heart, who learned to live in gratitude. Revelation says that Jesus has this key that opens doors that no man can shut, and shuts doors that no man can open (Rev. 3:7), and He also said that the Holy Spirit will take what is mine, and give it to you (John 16). That means that you can use the key of David as well, the key of giving Him thanks in all things. Whether it’s thanking him in prayer, in song, or in conversation, this kind of praise invites his manifest Presence and opens up locked doors.
When you’re locked out of the house, it’s always a great feeling to remember where you put the key, or perhaps where you’ve hidden a spare. Maybe you placed it under the front doormat, or hid it under a planter box. If you feel like you’re standing on the front porch locked out of the house, remember that you have the key of David. Pick it up, put it back in your key ring, and never take it off again!
We don’t have to give thanks for everything, but we can always give thanks in everything and watch His grace, favor, and Presence increase as we do!