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The Secret Garden
Posted : 13 Jul, 2008 10:51 AM
My Garden
Read Luke 6:43-45
There is a new sound in the garden of God. We have prayed for God to come, we have asked Him to spend time with us and to dwell with us but every time God draws near, a shaking comes to our lives. God is not visiting us, He's come to take up permanent residence in His children's hearts, if He can find us. This means it's time for a housecleaning; the things we use to do won't work any longer. Let�s be real here. The apostle Paul was one of the most passionate men of Christ who ever walked the earth, and even he struggled with sin daily. We all struggle simply because we are human. I wrestle with sin all the time. My flesh lusts to throw my spirit into a frenzy, but I know I�m not alone, and neither are you.
Some of us have recognized the problems affecting our lives but too many of us are still trying to find ourselves in the arena of life according to the traditions and wisdom of the world. It doesn't work that way. Having a spiritual understanding of the law of God and a sense of the evil in the heart and by attentively hearing the word of God, will cause us to seek the grace of the Holy Spirit. Grace is unmerited favor. Not deserved. Not earned. We are saved by grace, not by our goodness. God wants us to cast aside everything that keeps us from Him. God wants us to get right with Him! He wants to forgive us to.
If you invite God to change your heart, He will faithfully administer grace and forgiveness. One of my favorite scriptures says this: �Those who look on him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. Psalm 34:5 Through Jesus Christ, we are seen as radiant! That, my brothers and sisters, is the wonder of grace at work!! In fact, as a good sign of a work of grace begun in the heart, James reminds us that we must not only be hearers of the word, we must also be doers of the word. Now, as a friend amongst friends, slow down and ask yourself: Is what I want worth Christ dying for? Today�s Truth �For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith�and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God� not by works, so that no one can boast� Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
In this post, I want to share with you a story. I pray may none of us get through this encounter unchanged. �The Secret Garden� a book by Frances Burnett tells the story of Mary, a young girl who goes to live with her uncle in England. She becomes friends with a young boy named Dickon who loves nature. One day the two children discover a fenced in garden that Mary's uncle has locked up because it reminds him of his deceased wife. Due to neglect, the garden with its thorns, weeds, and roots looks dead. But, Dickon assures Mary that with proper tending, the garden will recover. So with the children's help, �the secret garden� eventually springs forth with many colorful, fragrant flowers and ripened fruits.
Are you tending the garden of your heart? Just like this story, we all have a �secret garden� in the heart, and how we tend or cultivate it will determine what kind of fruit or what kind of behavior and speech it produces. Just as a corrupt fountain sends forth corrupt springs so does a corrupt heart send forth corrupt reasonings, appetites, affections, and all the words and actions that come from it. It is our wicked thoughts, words, and actions that defile us and these only. Mark 7:23.
There is, in the word of God a proper remedy for all diseases of the heart. In the wisdom of Proverbs 4:20-26, Solomon gives us inspired counsel and the counsel offered here is active, not passive, as seen in the verbs we are called to enact: �give attention, keep them, put away, look straight ahead, ponder the path, and remove.� Notice verse 23: �Keep thy heart will all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.� Here the word �Keep� or in Hebrew �natsar� means to watch or guard with fidelity. We are called to �keep, to watch, or guard� our hearts as well as our mouth, tongue, and lips as seen in some of the following scriptures: (Psalm 34:13, 141:3, Proverbs 13:3) Thus, God wants us to water and cultivate the seed He planted into our hearts and minds. By guarding what we take into our hearts and minds, it will determine what takes root there. Why does it seem to be more empty and vain thoughts than pure thoughts in the body of Christ today?
Here's the problem we face: in essence, we are taught to think worldly or in the flesh, but we are also supposed to act like children of God. And the reason why we are taught to think this way is because those doing the teaching don't read and study the Bible. No wonder it is so easy for us to backslide into the mainstream views or ways of the world the moment we leave the sheltered walls of our church buildings. Maybe this explains why we are reminded to �Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind� God knew we would be pressured by our culture to conform to ungodly standards.
We need to be renewed daily, not just on Sundays because the assault of ungodly images, sounds, and sensations can be overwhelming at times. More than ever, we must set a strict guard upon our minds and hearts, train them, transform them, and discipline them to keep from doing hurt and getting hurt because out of it are the issues of life. Then we can stand and prove what is acceptable and what is the perfect will of God. That, brothers and sisters, is our reasonable service.
The Bible declares that: �As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he..� This is a reason why God is telling us how to think, think on theses things? What have you set your affections on? We have to seek from the Lord that living water, the sanctifying Spirit, issuing forth unto everlasting life. Thus, we shall be enabled to put away a froward mouth and perverse lips, and our eyes will be turned from beholding vanity, looking straight, forward, and walking by the rule of God's word and treading in the steps of our Lord and Master.
It�s all up to you. What came to your mind as you read this post? Have you experienced the wonder of grace at work in your life? In what ways? Do you extend that same grace to others? Spend a few moments in prayer and thank God for His grace. Take a moment to quiet your heart before our holy Lord right now and pray with me. Father, You are above all and beyond all! You are mighty to save, gracious to forgive, and merciful to forget all that I�ve done wrong. I praise You for who You are, and thank You for the grace that is at work in my heart and in my life. Help me to set my affections on you and cast aside everything that keeps me from You today. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
:peace:
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