In the Garden

In the Garden

I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses; and the voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses.  And he walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am his own; and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.  He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing; And the melody that He gave to me within my heart is ringing.  I'd stay in the garden with Him, tho' the night around me be falling, but He bids me go; thro' the voice of woe His voice to me is calling.

Growing up I didn't much like yard work.  My daddy made us pull weeds every weekend.  I remember thinking that when I got older, I would never do yard work again!  Did I think somebody was going to do the yard work for me, or that I would just live in a house surrounded by weeds!? 

When we grow up, often we find that we actually appreciate some of the endless chores that our parents made us do.  A 'dirty manicure' may not be your favorite, but working God's earth and planting a garden is so rewarding!

I was reading an article the other day and it struck me that the Lord was the first Gardener. It should be no surprise that we enjoy nature and tending to a bed of flowers or vegetables.  God made man and woman to live in the garden!  My favorite image is picturing our LORD walking amongst the tomatoes, squash, carrots and fruit trees of His garden!  "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day..." (Genesis 3:8)

This is the third year that we have planted a small bed of fruits and vegetables.  The hard work, the fruit of the labor and the lessons are so rewarding.  Sometimes, I will just sit in that little chair and stare at the garden.  I think about how it was supposed to be...how we were supposed to walk in the garden with Him!

Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.  The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. ~Genesis 2:8-9

Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray before he was crucified.  "Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray. ~Matthew 26:36

The 'garden' has a big role in the Bible.  Do you have a vegetable garden, a flower garden, or place where you create that allows you to spend time in reflection?

Blessings to you on this Sunday!