Key to this Treasure

Whaaaaaat a weekend it has been. I’ve been an emotional roller coaster for the past few days. Tears and all.

Why? Oh, how sweet of you to ask. I’ll tell you… here it goes. This is my longest post yet. Beware.

Thursday was a busy day as any other and I was in a rush as I was driving back to campus from places unknown for an appointment (I honestly can’t remember where I went). I pulled into a parking spot, got out of the car and mashed the “lock” button on my key. And nothing sounded but a beep. What am I supposed to do with a measly beep? So, frustrated (as this has happened before), I put the key in the lock and attempted to turn it.

Nothing.

So I opened the door, pressed the “lock” button on the inside door, shut it, and ran to my appointment (and, no, I didn’t have an appointment with a psychologist).

Friday rolls around (Get it? Car wheels?) and I headed to my car in hopes that it would open.

Guess what?

Nada. Just that little, obnoxious beep.

Heading back to my room, feeling lonely, I started to cry. I didn’t understand. Cars really frustrate me. So, as sorority recruitment ensues this week and happens to be stealing all my friends’ time, I sat in my room and read.

Really, Eleanor? On a Friday night? Why yes, blog-reader. Friday night. By myself. All alone.

Now, I sensed something spiritual was going with this key thing. You see, I actually lost my real ignition key the first week of school. There was no way that it could have easily slipped off my key chain, so that was weird thing number one. But about halfway through my Friday night pity party, I decided to look up all the Bible verses I could find pertaining to the word “key.” “What a joke,” I hear you say. But, friend, I learned some amazing truths. These discoveries came over a period of an hour of hard studying, and about another hour the next day (Saturday, for those of you who are confused).

So this is what I found:

Isaiah 22:22: “I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what [Eliakim] opens no one can shut.”

Revelation 3:7: “These are the words of Him who are holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”

Isaiah 33:6: “The fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”

“Alright, cool,” I thought. So what does this all mean? Does any of it even connect? 

Well, duh, it’s the BIBLE! It all connects! Goodness, my crazy mind sometimes.

Sitting there in sheer dumbfounded-ness and confusion, I asked the Lord for insight, for something. As I scrounged around for something on my bookshelf, I happened across “The Circle Maker” by Mark Batterson. All I knew was that it was a book on prayer. Flipping through it, I was sincerely shocked to find a section on “The Key of David.”

Like, woah, God, you blow my mind! 

It explained that Eliakim (mentioned in Isaiah 22:22) was mayor of David’s palace and that the key of David is: a symbol of authority, a means of access, access to promises, able to lock and unlock, close and open. 

I also looked up the definition of the word “key.” It is: “instruments that are turned to open or close locks; symbolize authority, power, and control.” So we’ve established that God holds these keys. He is, however the Son of David in all His majesty. He “hold[s] the keys of death and Hades” (Rev. 1:18).

Continuing to read sections of the book, Batterson talked about praying specifically, the difference between praying for and praying through, praising God in advance for answering prayers that He has promised answers to, and interceding until God intervenes. All of this is contained in about 12 pages. Talk about insight.

God promised that my car was going to unlock. It was a minuscule plea, but a prayer nonetheless. Although clinging to it and claiming it, I still felt there was more to be learned.

The verse “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10) randomly flew into my brain. So trusty old me took out the trusty old concordance and began sifting through the “wisdom” verses. I came upon this:

Colossians 2:3: “In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Treasure. Ring a bell? Key.

Isaiah 33:6 says “the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”

By this time I was freaking out. So many connections that my heart couldn’t fathom. So much truth. “Those who fear Him lack nothing” (Psalm 34:9). I just had to stop.

Saturday afternoon came, and I kept studying this while at a coffee shop with friends. Upon getting back to campus, I called a dear family friend who I wholeheartedly trust on the subject of both cars and spiritual significance.

He asked me questions, then told me to walk out to my car, hold the keys in my right hand, and turn it to the right.

It unlocked.

An immediate “PRAISE THE LORD!” escaped from my lips as frustration melted away. What a God I have who answers prayers; who delivers when I seek Him out of obedience, who is faithful to His promises. I then held my right hand in the air and repeated some declarations over my keys and my life–that I would be obedient to the Lord when He opens doors, that anything in my life that was locked would be opened by God alone.

Needless to say, I learned a lot this weekend about prayer, faith, and keys.

The Lord is a warrior!!