Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker
One of my favorite things to do is shop at thrift stores. This is tremendous fun for me because I never know what unique secondhand treasure I’ll find. My friend Misty gave
me a framed wall hanging with a quote from J.S. Bach that reads: “Music hath no end other than the glory of God and the recreation of the soul.” Very well said, and this lovely gift was purchased at a flea market.
Both my son-in-law Levi and I like the movie, “Secondhand Lions.” The plot is about a 14-year-old boy who is sent to live with his eccentric and reclusive great uncles on a ramshackle farm in Texas. The bachelor uncles order a lion for a wild game hunt on their
farm. But when the “king of the jungle” was delivered and unloaded, all they had for their money was an old worn-out retired circus lioness, so she was turned over to the boy as a
pet. He loved her, even though the secondhand lioness had seen better days.
Toward the end of the movie, the two aging uncles considered themselves just “a couple of has- beens“ right along with the lioness.
There’s nothing secondhand about God. “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning”
(Lamentations 3:22,23 NLT). While I sleep, His loving goodness is restocked and available when my feet hit the floor in the morning. Believers know their heavenly Father firsthand and understand that there‘s always new hope for a breakthrough every day.
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).
Even when we’re in the valley we can be thankful to God.
Why? Because we aren’t without His spiritual blessings that are freely given to us
My pastor says, “There’s no free rides, just free gifts.” God invites us to receive His unfailing love, mercies, hope, faithfulness, peace, and joy. Even if we fail and miss the mark, the mercies and forgiveness of God never cease and that is proof of His trustworthiness.
“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy…” (Psalm 33:18 NKJV). God sees, knows, and cares about all who revere and obey Him.
In Genesis Chapter 16, Hagar ran away to the wilderness because Sarai was treating her so harshly. But God found her and spoke to her. Hagar was the only person to give God the Hebrew name “El-roi” which means “the God who sees me.“
You may feel like nobody knows the trouble you’ve seen, but that’s not true. El-roi knows everything you’re going through and He is “at the ready” with new mercies every morning.
Whatever you need, God has it because He’s not short-handed in any way, shape, or form.
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save nor His ear dull with deafness that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1 AMP).
God is not about to wear out, retire, give up on you, or throw His hands up and walk away. He is seated on His throne
with the King of the Universe beside Him.
“[Jesus] who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand — with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to Him” (1 Peter 3:22 NIV). God has always been, and always will be, faithful in His love and mercies.
The Key: Our firsthand experience with God proves that His mercies never wear out.