In The Garden

For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes a seed to grow, sot he Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 61:11 (NIV)

In 1912 C. Austin Miles wrote the music and words to the song, In The Garden. As I drew this design, that song was reverberating in my mind. “I come to the garden alone...And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known!” Now that is powerful! In this design I have drawn a garden with lush plantings and colorful expressions with a walking path. Imagine walking with the Lord in the garden, talking with Him, sharing your deepest thoughts and the joy you would feel as you walked amongst His creation. I can only imagine...Can you?

Sometimes people ask me what is my favorite verse in the Bible. That’s easy to answer - all of the verses are my favorites depending upon my need on a given day. Today I am thinking about Chapter 55 of Isaiah, verses 10-11; As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. If you have a garden you know the importance of moisture so that the plants will grow and provide food for you and family. As disciples, the marketplace is our garden. It is our task and responsibility to take God’s Word and deliver it to others. We are to nurture others with the Word so they too can grow in the Spirit.

It is written in Isaiah 58:11, The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Jesus did not ask us to go and make disciples. He commanded. As Christians in the marketplace we must share God’s Word through not only telling others about Jesus, but also by being like Jesus. As a farmer tills the soil, so must we go out and work in the marketplace, telling them about our Lord. If we don’t do that, how will they know about Jesus? As Isaiah wrote, we will have the Lord guiding us and giving us the strength we need to do his will. Amen!