By Alice Smith
“Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.” Song of Solomon 4:16
At the beginning spring our backyard flower garden is a lovely place, and we pick and snip it at every opportunity to keep it that way. Beside the lattice that extends to the arbor above, we have planted three climbing vines. Our desire is that the vines will cover the lattice with a beautiful wall of greenery at the end of the patio. But often we have to help the growing tendrils attach to the lattice in order to grow in the right direction.
One of the other beauties in our garden is a prolific elephant plant–the centerpiece of the primary flowerbed. It seems to grow by inches each day. It grows so fast, in fact, that if left unattended it would overtake the dozens of other colorful plants that surround it and cut off all sunlight from them. Sometimes I think that plant is addicted to Miracle Grow plant food! So it’s necessary to keep it neatly trimmed. I’ve noticed that my own soul is like that vine and like that elephant plant. If I don’t keep it disciplined, I will slip into a soulish–rather than a spiritual–relationship with Christ.
Without the discipline of my spirit, my mind would take over and decide in which direction it would focus, and my emotions would choke out some of the good qualities the Holy Spirit wants to develop in me. I would constantly make will-based decisions rather than receiving heavenly instruction. The ME part of me would block the much needed Sonlight that is necessary to produce the divine beauty in the garden of my heart. Without spiritual discipline, my soulishness would overwhelm my spirit where God lives and I’d become another carnal believer.
The problem with the three climbing vines we planted beside the lattice is that they seem to have a mind of their own. They shoot off in every direction except, of course, to climb the lattice as we intended! Occasionally I must pause to take each delicate wandering stem and gently thread it through the lattice to get it to grow in the right direction. If I don’t, our beautiful wall of foliage would have gaps and holes!
Those vines also remind me of my flesh nature. Occasionally, I find myself at rest, sitting quietly in a reflective mode. No problems–all is well. Then I think to myself that this would be an excellent time to spend with the Lord in prayer and the Word. As I approach my prayer closet, my mind, my will and my emotions (my soul) begin to resist in the same way those three vines resist climbing the lattice. Suddenly I remember phone calls I need to make, letters I need to write, dry cleaning I need to take or pick up, and dishes I need to wash. What’s happening!?
The undisciplined flesh nature in me refuses to cooperate with what is required to produce spiritual beauty in me. That’s when my inner gardener (my spirit) must step in to provide the necessary discipline.
The devil is always ready to assist my unruly soulishness. In fact, he encourages it without invitation. But the Holy Spirit, the Master Gardner, stands quietly by to assist my spirit man. Like a gentleman, He will never force Himself on me. When I encounter this resistance to intercessory prayer in the inner garden of my life, I’ve learned to recognize it immediately. I ask the Master Gardener for help. Together, we pick, snip and redirect me into the purposes of God for which I was designed. Then “my Beloved (Jesus) can come into His garden, and eat His pleasant fruits!”
Now it’s your turn. You have been called to a consecrated journey with the Lord. Each day, as you commune with Him, you will make your own divine discoveries and produce your own devotional messages. Out of a consistent and faithful walk with God, your inner garden will flourish and flower with the fruit of His presence in you. Be blessed as you go into 2008 and learn His ways and walk in His presence.
Eddie and I wish you and yours a blessed and spiritually prosperous 2008!