In The Garden - God Speaking

     In The Garden is an on-going collection of messages from the Lord that I've received over the years during personal times of prayer and listening for His voice.  I believe it's God's desire to speak personally to each one of us who has partaken of the "heavenly calling".  If we spend time loving Him, quieting our hearts and minds from daily demands,  and trust the still small voice of the Spirit within, His loving wisdom and truth becomes the daily bread our souls so desperately need.

     I began listening for His voice within during a difficult period in my life when I realized I needed a more personal knowledge of His love, friendship, and fatherliness.  I'm not saying that I asked to hear an audible voice, or to have some kind of manifestation in the physical realm. I've heard stories of believers that have done so, either testing God's reality in their life, or wanting to flirt with the supernatural out of ignorance, and were accommodated by spirits manifesting that were not from God.  I DIDN'T WANT THAT.  But, I knew that I had received prophetic words from God in the past for other people that brought them comfort and encouragment. I thought, certainly He would want to speak to me.

The How

     At a time when I would not be disturbed, I sat with my eyes closed and began loving the Lord. To me, worshipping and loving Him are synonymous, so I would just tell Him how wonderful I thought He was, expressing love, and praising Him for any small thing that came to mind.  Then, getting quiet inside I asked Him for the ability to hear Him.  In my mind  I saw myself in a peaceful, lush garden with grass and trees, and a stream trickling through it.  And I saw the Lord Jesus there, his hand reaching out for mine, inviting me to come sit with Him. I could sense in my spirit, His loving, perfect Presence, and I opened my heart and mind to converse with Him.  Personal words and messages began to flow.

     Sometimes, I meet with Him in the Garden of my heart, and the place in my spirit's mind is actually high in a mountain forest, or at a quiet lakeside. Places that are calm and beautiful to me.  Our conversations are mostly Him speaking, as He knows my thoughts and concerns before I verbalize them. But He always brings me PEACE and COMFORT, and challenges me to live higher and deeper with Him.  He doesn't rebuke or criticize, or point out where I'm failing.  His words are always loving, encouraging, and in agreement with His written Word in the scriptures.



    Some might say I'm just imagining things, or indulging in fantasy, or just making it up.  But, as we give ourselves wholly over to Him in love and faith, even our God-given faculty of imagination is used by our spirit and His Spirit to communicate and relate on the heavenly plain.  (See Romans 6:13.) 


     God wants to speak to us, and we can hear Him if we invest our selves in knowing Him.  I'm still growing in my relationship with the Lord, and certainly wouldn't say I know Him as intimately as possible.  But as I give myself in time and effort to know the TRUTH of Who HE IS, the deeper my relationship grows with Him. I'll be writing in future about ways of developing a more personal relationship with God to KNOW Him.

In The Garden (1)

Come Into My Garden

     Come into My Presence, and follow Me into My Garden.  There is pleasantness and delight for you here with Me. I love to hear your heart's desires, and your thoughts and devotion toward Me.  But, My passion is to give to you; for you to take of Me, and be blessed. 

     Come and take of My Goodness, all that you want and need.  I AM here for you.  Eat and drink from Me. Come and rest in My heart, and let the peace of My Spirit calm your fears and destroy any yoke of burdensomeness that you carry.  I delight to be here for you, and to speak words of comfort and peace that will bring life and rest to your soul. 

     I AM your rest and peace, and to eat of Me is your privilege and delight.  This will bring you power and victory. Live in the splendor of My Presence, and don't be troubled about anything.  I will care for the things that you worry about.  And don't worry about giving something to Me.  What can you give Me, except yourself.  Give Me your heart, and you have given Me all.

Intimacy With God

     While young and searching for answers to my hunger to know God, I never would have dreamed of the deep love and intimacy that I now experience with Him.  The hardest thing for me to believe over the years was that God would actually want to be close with me.  But, I've come to know first hand that He not only desires intimate fellowship with me, but He made it possible by sending His Spirit to live in me. 

     The Apostle John writes: "That which we have seen and heard, we declare unto you so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and the Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3).  The Greek word translated "fellowship" in this text is koinonia. It means partnership, or communion.  When we believe in Jesus and partake of the heavenly calling, we are in a common union, or partnership with God the Father and Jesus Christ.  This union or partnership is not just one of heart and mind, having the same purposes and goals, but a SPIRITUAL UNION created by His Spirit coming to dwell in our spirit. 

One Spirit With God

      In John 14:16-17, Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to dwell in us after He ascended into Heaven.  The Book of Acts records several instances where people believed in Jesus as their Savior, and there was visible, audible evidence they received the Holy Spirit dwelling in them.*  It's no different for someone who puts their faith in Jesus today. Any one who truly trusts in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins is one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17).  It really is an awesome reality to think that the One who created the Universe, who walks on water, heals incurable diseases, who died in our place taking all of our sins and misery, has actually come to live inside us. The blessings and promises available for us because of this reality are both exciting and sobering.

     For me, one of the most significant blessings of God's Spirit dwelling in me is the intimate, personal nature of the relationship I have with Him.  I now know the DEEP LOVE and ACCEPTANCE He has for me, and the ability to sense and experience His Presence.  God is no longer a far off, abstract concept, or intangible religious image in a painting.  He is a real Spirit being that I know and trust as companion, counselor, Father, friend, and so much more.


    I know it's God's desire that every one come to know Him and receive His Spirit. If you haven't already accepted His call and put faith in His Son Jesus Christ, I urge you to do so.  He wants you to know His love and acceptance, and experience the intimacy of His Spirit dwelling in you.  Do you know Him?  Let me know your thoughts or questions. 


* Acts chapter 2; ch. 8:14-17; ch. 10:44-47; ch. 19:1-6