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 . . .

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 . . .

This song was written by a pharmacist and photographer, C. Austin Miles.  One day as he was developing some film, he had a vision of Mary Magdelene waiting in the garden, looking for the body of her Lord.  The thought was so touching to him that he quickly wrote out this beautiful hymn. 

Francis Frangipane noted that Jesus was eager for his disciples and friends to touch him when he met with them later.  It was only Mary Magdelene that he pulled away from because "He had not yet returned to His Father."  The point Francis made was that the pain and dispair of his dear friend was enough to interrupt his own trip back to commune with the Father.  He let all Heaven and His beloved Father God Himself wait so that he could comfort her.  If that doesn't touch your heart, then you need some serious soul searching.

We still have the same opportunity today.  We can come into the garden of fellowship with Him every morning, just like Mary Magdelene did--with the same passion, pain and urgency--and find Him waiting there, willing to place all of Heaven itself on hold to meet with us.  Even the most barren place can bloom in His presence, becoming more radiant than even the picture above.  He even promises this in His word to those He has grafted into Zion:

The Lord will surely comfort Zion
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
her wastelands like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing.
Is. 51:3

Take some time with Him today, whether it's mid-day, evening or early tomorrow morning.  I promise on His authority that He will not fail to meet you there.  He said, "They will find Me if they seek Me with all their hearts," and He hasn't changed since He made that promise.  Just talk to Him as you would a healthy Father and dear friend.  He is willing to be both for you if you will let Him. 

Tomorrow, I'll give a short road map for spending each day with Him and learning to hear his voice. 

Dreamscaping 15...praying and talking...

^" If you believe, you will receive whatever
you ask for in prayer."  Matt 21:22

Ok, as I looked for pictures for the blog, I stumbled on this beauty:

Busted.

As I talk about the ideas God has placed on my heart, I'm often trying to work out the plan in my mind, mulling over the details as I talk about it.  There are many times that the Lord brings clarity through many counselors--Pr 15:22 tells us that "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."  Still, our first and best Counselor is the Holy Spirit. 

It's easy to lean on human wisdom but it can become foolish if that's the primary wisdom we seek.  It's harder to hear what God has to say to us.  People are always happy to put their two cents in, usually whether we want it or not.  Listening for what God has to say has to be an intentional choice and it's a crucial part of prayer.  It requires the disciplines of being still and going to the Bible.  It requires closing our own mouths and opening our ears.  It's a lot of work--it is, in fact, the work of following Him.  Look closely at John 6:28 and 29:

²⁸ Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?"  ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

If we really believe He is the one who does the work; He is the one who creates the plan; He is the one who puts the pieces in place--then the real work is just seeking out what He has already prepared. That kind of ministry life is one rife with miracles and God's handiwork. 

I've got work to do...