Daily Devotional for January 20, 2023
The Right Key
“Sure you don’t want to come along to pick up Grandma from her appointment?” asked Riley’s grandfather as he turned the car into the driveway. Riley shook his head. He planned to enjoy a glass of milk and some of Grandma’s cookies while he waited. “Okay,” said Grandpa. He held out a key chain. “The silver key with the round top is the house key. Grandma and I will be back soon.”
Riley took the keys and went up the walk. None of these keys look like the one Grandpa described, he thought. He tried each one in the front door. None worked, so he walked around the house, checking every window and door. They were all locked securely. Riley groaned and tried to ignore his growling stomach as he sat down on the steps to wait.
After what seemed like forever, his grandparents arrived. “I couldn’t get in!” Riley told them. “You didn’t give me the right key, Grandpa.”
“I didn’t? It’s the—oh no, wait! I took it off that ring to have a duplicate made. I must have forgotten to put it back. I’m sorry, Riley.”
“Well, I have a key that will work,” said Grandma. She handed it to Riley.
A moment later Riley had the door open. “Whew! I didn’t think I’d ever make it in here. There’s nothing worse than being locked out of the house when all you want is a glass of milk and one of Grandma’s cookies!”
“Actually, I can think of something worse,” said Grandpa.
“Really? What?” asked Riley.
“It’d be worse to expect to get into heaven but find out too late that you have the wrong key.”
“What do you mean?” asked Riley. “You don’t get into heaven with keys.”
“No, not actual keys,” said Grandpa. “But we may think being in a Christian family or living a good life is the key to getting into heaven. But it doesn’t work that way. Jesus said, ‘No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ We can only have the right key by trusting in Him. He’s the one who makes us right with God and gives us eternal life.” Grandpa paused. “What key do you have, Riley?”
Riley smiled. “I believe in Jesus and trust Him to save me, so I know I have the right key!”
-Mary Rose Pearson
How about you?
Do you think you’ll go to heaven someday? What key are you counting on to let you in? Doing good things? Going to church? Being part of a Christian family? These are useless in opening heaven’s door. Jesus is the key to eternal life with God. You can only have your sins forgiven and be saved by trusting in Him. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page.)
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