Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

My first pet was a little black and white Rat Terrier named Stormy. He came into my life as a delightful surprise, as I wasn‘t expecting him. We spent lots of time together and had fun playing in the great outdoors. I would imagine the acquisition of this puppy was mainly my Dad’s idea and, of course, my Mom agreed. As I think back on this wonderful childhood experience I realize that my folks knew I would benefit from a pet, so Dad searched out the options. My little pal was born on a stormy night and Dad brought him home to me on a stormy night, so that’s how his name was chosen. I didn’t ask for a dog, but I sure did love him. As a little kid, I wasn’t smart enough to ask for special things that would help mold me into a well-rounded person. Thankfully, my wise parents lovingly provided the proper life tools I would need as an adult. And I didn’t even have to ask.

In the New Testament, a Roman military officer approached Jesus and presented Him with a critical situation: “When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with Him, ’Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.’ Jesus said, ’I will come and heal him’” (Matthew 8:5-7 NLT). The officer didn’t ask Jesus to come to his house because he knew that any Jew who entered a Gentile house would be considered ceremonially unclean. However, the compassionate Healer didn’t hesitate to ignore manmade religious traditions. Beautiful story short, Jesus knew the desire of the officer’s heart. The young servant was healed and Jesus didn’t even have to be asked.

In another New Testament account, the Prince of Life and His entourage are about to enter the city of Nain when they are met by a funeral procession. “The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. ’Don’t cry!’ He said. Then He walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. ’Young man,’ He said, ’I tell you, get up.’ Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother” (Luke 7:12-15 NLT). The mother didn’t even ask for her son to be brought back to life, but Jesus understood her broken heart and dire situation.

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4 NIV). This scripture became very real to me in June of 1996 when I was privileged to study voice with a Christian professor of music. I hadn’t even thought about praying and asking for the opportunity to acquire voice lessons, but God knew it was a desire of my heart. Although I’d been singing most of my life, it was by the “letter” method — open ’er up and let ‘er fly! The professor was in town for a limited time, so I approached him after a campmeeting service and asked if he would consider giving me voice lessons. He did not know me, but right there on the spot he answered, “Yes.“ I was totally elated with his immediate affirmative response.

At the conclusion of my vocal studies, Professor Garen L. Wolf confessed that when he told his wife he had agreed to give me (a complete stranger) voice lessons, she declared, “You don’t even know if she can sing!“ He responded, “The Lord told me to do it.“ As the tears welled up in my eyes, I knew I had experienced a musical miracle that only God could have orchestrated.

The Key: Love Jesus with all your being and He will give you the longings in your heart.

The story is told of a little girl who developed the bad habit of lying. On her birthday, she received a Saint Bernard puppy but told all of her friends she’d been given a lion. When her mother heard this story, she was not happy. “I told you not to lie. Honesty is very important. Now go upstairs and tell God you’re sorry. Promise Him you’ll never lie again.”

The little girl slowly climbed the stairs to her room, said her prayers, and then came back down to play. Her mother was waiting. “Well, did you tell God you’re sorry?” she asked. “Yes, I did,” her daughter quickly responded. “And God said that sometimes He thinks it’s hard to tell a Saint Bernard from a lion, too.”

If there is any sin more prevalent than the lie, I’m not sure what it is.  The book The Day America Told the Truth reports that 91 percent of those surveyed lie routinely about matters they consider trivial, and 36 percent lie about important matters; 86 percent lie regularly to parents, 75 percent to friends, 73 percent to siblings, and 69 percent to spouses.

As surprising as those numbers are, who of us hasn’t been guilty?  We download illegal songs.  Cheat on our tax returns.  Embellish our accomplishments.  Permanently “borrow” the stapler from the office. Tell our friends we will “pray for them” but don’t. And then… we justify. Not the way to make God happy. After all, He watched the downfall of man begin with lies.

Think about it.  Satan introduces himself to mankind by lying about God to Eve– “You shall not die.”  In other words, “God fibbed when He warned you of the consequence of eating from the tree of life.”  Eve and Adam learn quickly that God means business, as they are banished from the Garden of Eden one itty bitty bite later.

In the book of Job, Satan lies to God.  “The only reason Job obeys you is because you’re so good to him.”  At Jesus’ crucifixion, the same liar convinces the masses to support the Romans and religious zealots who have sabotaged Jesus’ ministry. In the book of Revelation, Satan embodies the antichrist who tells a lie so believable it brings about the end of the world.

As one author put it, in Genesis he uses a lie to corrupt a godly man.  In Job, he uses a lie to criticize a good man.  In the New Testament, he uses a lie to crucify the God Man. It’s no wonder John 4:4 warns us:  When men are deliberate liars, they prove their kinship to the devil, for Jesus said: “The devil … he is a liar, and the father of it.”

I know someone who lies to make himself feel important and then gets angry when confronted.  Repentance is not part of his vocabulary.  In fact, typically more lies follow in the cover-up.  I wish he could have the same outcome as the store manager who heard his rookie clerk tell a customer, “No, ma’am, we haven’t had any for a while, and it doesn’t look as if we’ll be getting any soon.” Horrified, the manager came running over to the customer and said, “Of course we’ll have some soon. We placed an order last week.” Then the manager drew the clerk aside. “Never,” he snarled, “Never, never, never say we’re out of anything- say we’ve got it on order and it’s coming. Now, what was it she wanted anyway?”

The clerk answered, “Rain!”

For many, deceit holds the key to money, fame, revenge or power. I’d rather hold the key to truth and integrity.

One will keep me in bondage.  The other will set me free.