Hello, again,
Following the thoughts in my last letter, another very important purpose for a garden is the pleasure it gives. Whether it produces nutritious vegetables, delicious fruits, wholesome herbs, or beautiful, fragrant flowers, great pleasure may be derived from a simple garden.
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul draws an interesting picture: “…you are God’s garden!…” Isaiah says we are “the planting of the Lord.” (1 Cor. 3:9; Isaiah 61:3)
And the Song of Solomon quotes a most intriguing conversation between two lovers, undoubtedly symbolic of Christ and His bride: Here is a beautiful paraphrase of this passage:
Lover: “My darling bride is like a private garden, a spring that no one else can have, a fountain of my own. You are like a lovely orchard bearing precious fruit, with the rarest of perfumes…You are a garden fountain, a well of living water, refreshing as the streams from the Lebanon mountains.”
Beloved: “Come, north wind, awaken; come, south wind, blow upon my garden and waft its lovely perfume to my Beloved. Let Him come into His garden and eat its choicest fruits.”
Lover: “I am here in my Garden, my Darling, my Bride! I gather my myrrh with My spices and eat My honeycomb with My honey. I drink My wine with My milk.”
Beloved: “Oh, Lover and Beloved, eat and drink! Yes, drink deeply!” (Song of Sol. 4:12-5:1 LB)
Adam and Eve were accustomed to “the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” (Gen. 3:8)
Have you thought of the Divine Gardener coming to walk in your garden, with desire to partake of the fruit He might find there? The fruit in which He takes great delight? Such as:-
LOVE (“that abounds more and more”), JOY (“unspeakable and full of glory”) PEACE (“that passes all understanding”), FAITH (“unfeigned (genuine)”), PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, HUMILITY, OBEDIENCE. We are also told that He delights in LOVINGKINDNESS, JUSTICE, RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUTH. (Gal. 5:22; Jer. 9:24; Eph. 5:9)
We readily think of the blessings we receive from our redemptive relationship with our Lord. But how often do we think of the joy and pleasure which He receives when He finds this kind of fruit in our “gardens” and when we bless Him with our worship?
We are told that
“The Lord TAKES PLEASURE in His people.” (Psalm 149:4)
“Jehovah ENJOYS His people!” (LB)
“The Lord TAKES DELIGHT in His people…” (NIV)
“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.
He will TAKE GREAT DELIGHT IN YOU,
He will QUIET YOU WITH HIS LOVE,
He will REJOICE OVER YOU WITH SINGING.” (Zeph. 3:17, NIV)
What profound love Christ has for His own!
“Now the God of all HOPE fill you with all JOY and PEACE in the believing,
that you may abound in HOPE through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
(Romans 15:13)
In Agape, Eulene
