This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to work in the garden. It was a beautiful warm spring day. The sun was shining overhead and the heady scent of jasmine floated on the breeze. Earlier in the day I had purchased some annuals to add to my flower bed and I was excited to plant them. As I dug my hands into the earth, and felt the coolness of the freshly turned soil between my fingers, I sensed a sudden closeness with the Lord. His love enveloped me and praises filled my heart. That happens often when I am in the garden. It is as if the rest of the world, with all its cares and worries, slips away leaving just the two of us to share in an intimate moment together.

I can’t help but noticed the parallel between tending a garden and our relationship with the Lord. In order for both to thrive, we need to spend time on our knees, giving them the attention they require. A garden should be watered and fed and loved in order to survive. The more we spend time tending our garden, the more it grows and the more beautiful it becomes. But, when we ignore it and fail to feed it, weeds will grow and begin to choke out the beauty that once was there. It is the same with our relationship with Christ. When we spend time with the Lord and give our relationship the proper nurturing, it will flourish. Our budding faith will blossom and produce an abundance of fruit for His glory. However, if ignored, even a long-standing relationship can begin to wither and fade.

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me” (John 15:4).

And so, we stay in the garden. As we linger, the Lord will join us and our hearts will open, blossoming under His tender care.  Daily reading of His Word, praying and praising Him will continue to deepen the bond between us and our faith will grow with each moment spent with Him.

“Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong” (Ephesians 3:17).

As I continued to kneel in my garden I was reminded of the old hymn "In the Garden". Charles Austin Miles writes that in the garden,

"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."

The hymnist says it well. As we tarry with the Lord, we will find a joy never known before. Our growing relationship will become a blessing beyond anything we have ever experienced. Where thorns once were, new life will grow. And when properly tended, it will flourish into an everlasting love. The profound words of this beautiful hymn never fail to move my heart. After all, that’s where Love began…in the garden.

8 Comments

  1. What a perfect analogy comparing tending our garden to our relationship with the Lord.

    I love the song "In the Garden" and now you have me humming it in my head. :)

    I so desire to abide in Him. John 15 is a chapter I read over and over, especially when I'm in times when He is pruning me.

    Blessings and love,
    Debbie

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  2. I confess I try to figure God out instead of humbly following His plan. He must get so annoyed with me.

    May God continue His work in us.

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  3. AnonymousMay 19, 2010

    I am such a visual person and love analogies. This is a great post. You are a great writer and I love hearing what is in your heart. xo

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  4. I love my garden. I feel to feel the dirt and work outside. Yes, like you, He walks with me and talks with me. God is the maker of all beautiful gardens. In our hearts and on the earth.

    :)

    Nice to meet you.

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  5. Great analogy and I love the song you quoted.
    Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment on my blog.

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  6. I loved this post Joan. I get much satisfaction from time there--God really has my undivided attention when I'm on my knees in the flower bed.

    That old hymn really touched my life, many times have I sung those old songs and felt the sweet presence of my Father. Thank you for including this one!

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  7. I need to get to the garden with Jesus today; I'm not a gardener myself, but I'm a runner. I'm the closest to God when I'm hitting the pavement outdoors. I will do so this morning... just so I can feel his presence with me.

    Thanks for stopping by the blog.

    peace~elaine

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  8. Oh, Joan, I needed to read this tonight...you are so right. If we don't stay in His Word on a daily basis, discouragement can set in. Well, at least it true for me.
    Some days I read my Bible and read a passage that seems totally new to me. I guess He will always help us grow, no matter how often we have read a passage.

    Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom.

    Love & peace,
    <>< Iris

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