One Life

Yesterday was my wonderful wife Pearl’s 35th birthday. It was a special day of celebration and thanksgiving to God. I bought her a necklace with a key and a heart on it. I wanted to share if I might a portion of what I wrote in my card to Pearl. It will explain the birthday present meaning.

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There will certainly be times when like for myself in this past year there will be temptations to doubt or worry. May any gray hairs we have be signs of wisdom rather than stress! In those times it’s good to remember one of the scenes in The Pilgrim’s Progress when Christian recalls in the dungeon of Doubting-castle that he has a key to the door. Bunyan writes,

“What a fool I have been, to lie like this in a stinking dungeon, when I could have just as well walked free. In my chest pocket I have a key called Promise that will, I am thoroughly persuaded, open any lock in Doubting-Castle.” “Then,” said Hopeful, “that is good news. My good brother, do immediately take it out of your chest pocket and try it.” Then Christian took the key from his chest and began to try the lock of the dungeon door; and as he turned the key, the bolt unlocked and the door flew open with ease, so that Christian and Hopeful immediately came out.

Three times Bunyan says that the key was in Christian’s “chest pocket” or simply his “chest.” Some understand this to mean that Christian had hidden the words and promises of the Bible in his heart by memorization and that it was now accessible in prison and times of doubt for precisely this reason.

I hope this year can be a year of great promise seeking and Word reading for you, and that these promises might be like a key in your heart that frees you from the dungeon of Doubting-castle. Surely there are more challenges ahead for us both and for our family. Good challenges ordained by God Himself – and a hearty, fruitful bounty of blessing that will overshadow all that came before.