by Jeanne Page
Chapter Three
The Golden Key
“Come here, child,” said the Son.
The Servant Girl approached The Throne with a new boldness, now. Her eyes never left His as she was drawn forward with an unexplainable power. “You will be taking a journey in search of Truth,” He told her, and her heart felt the pricks and tingles of this noble purpose. She knew then, that this was no small errand.
“You have been down to the river’s edge many times,” he said, “And this journey will be as a river of experience. You may choose to walk along the shore, or walk ankle deep in the shallows. You may wade into deeper waters, or swim in the depths by faith where your feet no longer touch the bottom. Your choices on this journey will determine your level of experience.”
“Choices? But…I will not be alone will I?” She remembered the King’s promise but did not voice it for fear she had misunderstood. “Won’t…someone…be there to tell me what I should do?”
He smiled and nodded. “Your Companion will always be with you, as will My Father and Myself. But things will not always look as you expect them to look. As you approached The Throne Room tonight, you were concerned that you would not know how to speak with The King. That is the very reason for your journey. Not only will you learn to share your heart with your King, but even more important, you will learn to hear Our Voice, even in unusual and unexpected circumstances.”
The Son held out His hand to her and the Servant Girl placed hers in His. He turned her palm up and gently placed a small golden key there. The key was attached to a very dainty looking chain, with tiny fine links, also made of gold. The King spoke as she looked in wonder at the gift, “This key was forged with many tears in the deepest darkest prison cell--one of the many reasons that it is precious to Me.” Speechless, she looked up into His face. “On it,” He continued, “you will see Holy Words engraved; Holy Words that are a command, and a promise. What does it say, child?”
She looked closely at the script etched in fine, but deep letters. “Call to me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things that you know not.”
The King closed His eyes and nodded, as if savoring those precious words. Then He looked at her and there was no mistaking the importance of what He said next. “First…the command. Call to me. It is what I command of you.”
She had no doubts about the firmness of the commandment. She so wanted to please Him, but was fearful of doing it wrong. “My Lord…”
“Yes, child?”
“I know You are busy about the work of the Kingdom. My needs are so small, so inconsequential. How will I know the circumstances in which I should call on You? Surely you don’t mean for me to call to You concerning unimportant details?”
“But I do, child,” He replied. “There is no detail too small, and never lose sight of the fact that this is a command. One that you are to obey.” He was stern, but kindness permeated each word. He smiled. “With this command comes a promise. If you call to Me, I promise to answer you. Not only that, but your eyes will be opened to truths that you can only discover when you are with Me.”
The Servant Girl was overwhelmed beyond response. The command would require courage, but the promise was almost too much to hope for. Would He really answer every call, for every detail, no matter how small? Would she really be capable of learning deep truths?
“Do not dishonor Me and My character with unbelief,” He warned. “I have promised and it is so.” Again, she was startled that He seemed to know her every thought. “Now place the chain around your neck, little one, where the key will rest against your heart. You will be unable to complete your service to Me unless you learn how to stay in constant communication with Me. You will learn how on your journey.”
The Son spoke up again. “Open your hand again, child, for I have another gift for you for your journey.” This time he handed her a little leather pouch. “Tie this to your belt and carry it every where you go. Your Companion will show you what you are to gather in it, and then return it to me at the completion of your journey.”
She looked in wonder at The Son. What did all of this mean?
“Here is a deep truth, child, for you to know. When you see Me, you see the Father. When you hear your Companion speak to you, you hear Me. What your Companion does, He does at the bidding of The King. We are One. Yes, I will be with you. I am the One who brought you here. I am your Companion. I am The Word. I am The Door. I Am.”
He smiled. “These are deep truths that can only be understood by way of the journey, and it is time for you to begin.”
Her Companion took her elbow and whispered in her ear, “Our journey begins. Come.” He turned her aside and for the first time she noticed a small archway covered with rich velvety purple curtains. The curtains rustled on a breeze as her Companion pulled the fabric aside, and she was surprised to find, not a room, but another hallway. But this hallway was different. The corridor seemed to stretch to infinity, for she could not see an end to it. As they began to walk forward, she saw that both sides of the corridor were lined with doors—many, many doors.
Each door was constructed of a distinctive wood, reddish brown like rich mahogany, but heavier and harder than anything she had ever seen before. As she approached the first one, she gasped for the beauty of the Words inscribed upon it drew her in like a penniless beggar who stumbles upon hidden treasure. The elegant, curling script was carved deep into the door’s raised panel and it was as if the crevasse of each letter had been painted with pure, liquid gold, still wet and shimmering. Soft streams of sparkling light radiated from the words, as if the north star itself hung on the other side of the door, and bits of the purest rays of light pierced their way through. She was like a sailor tossed upon the waves, but with eyes steadfastly trained on that pole-star guiding her home. She wanted to gaze upon those Words for an eternity, for an unexpected joy stirred within her as she read them. She was reluctant to touch the Words themselves for they had a Holy look to them, but she could not resist running her fingers on the door itself. As she did so the soft pads of her fingertips sensed the uneven texture of still more engravings. These sketches were so fine that they could have been etched in with the tip of a needle and were hardly visible but they seemed to tell a deeper story. There was a longing to know the meaning of the tale inscribed in picture form, but her Companion gently interrupted her thoughts. “This door is for another time. Come with me.”
She reluctantly tore herself from the door, but was immediately delighted to see that each door had it’s own bright and beautiful words with their own stories carved in the thinnest of lines. The hallway itself glowed with the light emanating from all of the glorious Words and doors.
“Is this where we are to journey?” she asked Her Companion. “Do these Words hold the truth that The King’s Son spoke of?”
“It’s true that one could walk this corridor for eternity and live and find joy in these Words, but the King has called you to something even deeper.” He stopped and turned to face one of the doors. “See? Here is where we are to begin our journey.”
As she gazed eagerly upon the door He had chosen, she was reminded of the light source that seemed to come from her Companion, for although the words themselves glowed, as He stepped closer the entire door lit up as if a bright lamp was being held to it. He smiled at her and explained. “Some call me ‘The Illuminator.’ In the darkest of places I will bring light. I have many names and you will learn more of them as we travel together. You will learn many things about me before we complete this task.”
She sighed peacefully as she once again ran her fingers along the carvings before her. The words beamed like moonlight on her face, “PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.”
“There is much to be learned just by reading these words as they are,” her Companion assured her. “But there are deeper truths to be gained, and there is only one way to find them. You must rely on Me to show you these deeper truths. Are you ready?” He asked.
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br /> She smiled and nodded. “I want to know anything and everything that You want to teach me.”
He grinned with approval. “Take your key, little one, and unlock the door.”
She bent down close to the key hole and inserted the little golden key.
“When you use the Key of Prayer, you are calling on The King, just as He commanded. I am here to show you His answer. Yes, His answer is on the door itself, but the depths of His answer…unsearchable things…those can only be experienced when combining these Precious Words with the Key of Prayer. Come. Great and unsearchable things lie behind this Door.”
He bid her to open it, and she took the knob, turned it and like magic, the door swung open on silent hinges.
Questions for Reflection
What is the unexplainable power that draws the Servant Girl to the Throne?
Are you on a journey in search of Truth?
How would you describe that journey?
What does the Son's description of "the river of experience" mean to you?
How would you describe your own journey of experience right now?
How can the Servant Girl be led by her Companion yet still have choices on her journey?
How are you led by the Holy Spirit, and how big a part do your own choices play?
Why do you think the Son said that "things will not always look as you expect them to look?"
Who do you think forged the key in the dark prison cell?
Why was it forged with tears?
Why is it precious to the King?
How do you feel about the fact that we are commanded to pray?
Why do you think we are commanded to pray?
Do you long for God to show you great and mighty things?
What is the deep truth that the Son described to the Servant Girl?
Why do you think the Servant Girl responded so strongly to the Words on the doors?
Discuss the light sources in the hallway.
What name did her Companion share with her?
Describe the difference between reading the Words on the door, and gaining deeper truths.
Are there examples of the Holy Spirit being the Teacher of Truth in your life?
Are there examples of the Holy Spirit being the Illuminator in your life?
Is there a difference between the two?
How would you describe the difference between knowing about the Holy Spirit, and knowing the Holy Spirit, Himself?
Has God's Holy Word become like great spoil to you?
Why is prayer referred to as a golden key?
What does it mean to pray God's word?