In The Garden

When I was little, my Grandma would rock me to sleep while singing and humming. Those melodies, and the creaking of the old wooden rocker, would put me to sleep in no time. I will not forget the love and security I felt in those precious times she took with me, nor will I forget the many different songs she shared. They are imprinted on my memory and I think on them whenever life gets tough.

One of the songs my Grandma sang was 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.

Refrain:
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. [Refrain]

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. [Refrain]

Baptist Hymnal, 1991

A garden can be viewed as a word picture of our personal relationship with our God through Jesus. We are able to enter this garden at any time as children of God. However, we are only granted access to enter this relationship “garden” because of our Savior and what he did on the cross for us.

It is a fitting word picture because it was from God’s garden that man was thrown out due to sin. Through one man’s sin the gate to the garden was shut and locked, but through Jesus the garden gate was opened again. Of course I am speaking spiritually because the physical Garden of Eden is no more.

In the face of our trials we all must come to the Garden alone. The catch is that we have to choose to meet with Jesus. It takes action on our part. I so often forget in my suffering to go to the garden, but what a blessing it is to know Jesus and to have these times of prayer and communion, even if It takes me awhile to get there!

Let me be clear. I am not talking about a feeling or some construct of our human mind. This communion with God happens in God the Spirit, within God’s Word, because of the work of Christ and God’s grace.

Hebrews 4:16

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We must come to the garden early…while the dew is still on the roses…. It is always best to begin our day with the Word, in prayer, and just being with God. We hear what God is saying because we are in Christ, one in the Spirit.

Psalms 143:8

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

All the other melodies around us are silent when we are listening to God and His voice. What we hear Him say stays in our hearts throughout our day.

This fellowship with God in Christ, is so sweet we should wish to stay in that place and time. But God calls us to leave the garden and put into practice what He has told us in His Word!

But we rest assured in the knowledge that we can walk and talk with Him at anytime and place. We are His own! Such an amazing truth and comfort.

Thanks be for such wonderful times in the garden of God’s Word!

Psalms 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.