The Free Dictionary (by Farlex), defines “turn key” as “Supplied, installed, or purchased in a condition ready for immediate use, occupation, or operation.”

Have you ever bought a new home?

There is a loveliness about walking into a house that is fully built, and ready for you to live your life within its walls. You can let out a sigh of relief, walk in, put your clothes away, and go cook a meal. You don’t have to pound nails, or pick colors, or wonder about tile. It is ready for you, and provides everything you need for your wellbeing and comfort.

Those who have built their own homes might stand up here and say there is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment that comes from building your own home, nor do so many take such care of the place as when they have built it themselves. One can also relate this to homes passed down by parents to children. Some children will cherish the gift, others might not.

Ungrateful recipients tend to let a place go – to put off proper upkeep, or disrespect things that were given them by people who cared a lot about them…oh, and about the heirs, too. Heirloom pieces to one – “vintage” to others who may prefer ultra-modern. Further, there are always the folks who believe they could have done better, and just start ripping things up without thinking what the consequences really are. Forgetful, at least. At most – disrespectful.

Ge 2:8-16  The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.

Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. NKJV

The garden was like that…turn key. Every tree that is pleasant, and good for food. Lots of water. A place to relax, enjoy life, and talk with God every evening. A place to know their creator – the creator of the garden – to really build a relationship, and learn what rulership was meant to look like in its purest form.

But it wasn’t enough for them. They looked for more. They didn’t stay grateful for what they had been given. Mankind failed to daily see afresh the miraculous provision given to them, and sought. They sought. They allowed confusion and pure greed to dampen their love for their surroundings, so lovingly crafted and shared with them.

So, when the temptation came (they always do), they fell. They did not hold on to loyalty, to beauty, or to love, but reached out to find “more.”

Dt 6:10-13 “So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant — when you have eaten and are full — then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. NKJV

Time and time again we read how God blessed his creation – his people, and they said “thank you” but quickly noticed the things other people had, and sought in their hearts. They sought different foods, different land, and different idols.

Seeking from a place of emptiness is understandable. It is why we turned to Jesus in the first place. But we can, if we are not careful, forget that temptation has a whole lot of promises for us, promises that require us to step out of the garden to accept. No more turn key…oh, wait…just a new kind of turn key. New stuff. But we haven’t really looked into the beautiful nooks and corners of the place we already have. If we had sought in our own garden, there would be so much to learn, to feast upon!

Those of us who had our “own” house for quite a while before moving into the one that Jesus provides remember. We remember how much it cost. We remember the pain, the arrogance, and the insecurity. We remember the ever-present aloneness, no matter where we lived. We remember the seedy neighborhood, and the fear.

But, that is behind us, thank God!

Now, we just need to remember in gratitude, and do our wandering into the nooks and corners of our own places within the Kingdom of our Creator. We just need to remember what “stuff” evil promises, and refuse to make the trade.

After all, we are already home.

Blessings!
Leaona Huston
November 19, 2021