I Come To The Garden Alone



One of my all time favorite hymns this song "In The Garden" has
touched my heart for years. I've not always nor even now really know all the words but these key lines have stuck with me always. "I come to the garden alone While the dew is still on the roses" and "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."

Today I made a realization - wow, Faith had another one of those eye
openers, which does happen occasionally. For as long as I can remember some of my most special, most peaceful times of my life have been spent "In the Garden". And even more so "While the dew is still on the roses" early in the morning while most everyone else is still sleeping "alone" - I am a morning person. But, was I alone? No, some of my closest talks with Our Father have been right there, setting in the dirt, pulling weeds or digging plants to move to a new location, planting seeds in hopes and dreams of what would grow from them. Even during the long years of my life when I wasn't living for God - He was there in the garden with me. I was never "alone".

There are some very important scriptures in the bible connected with gardens. Of course most everyone, believer and non-believers know the "story" of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 2:8-10 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden;

We also most all know what happened after that - Adam and Eve messed up! Result of which God had created the most beautiful of gardens but we humans didn't listen and ended up where we are now. Most believers are or should be if not already, trying to get back to that garden.

Now, I may be off the mark here but seems to me that "The Garden"
must have been pretty important to God. He did all that work the first 6 days, rested on the 7th and sometime in there He planted a garden to put man in… Sounds important to me! The word "garden" alone is in the King James Version of the bible 59 times, (if you don't believe me click
here, I've listed them for you or you can do your own search) lot of stuff going on in "gardens" in those days. Just a little side note here, the word "satan" is only mentioned 49 times won't bother listing those as he's not important if your living for God you have power over him.
(ok, I know he is mentioned by other names but working the numbers here for effect and sure there are
many "gardens" that although mentioned are not pulled up by the word "garden").


Some very very interesting information I learned today though is even
though it doesn't say "garden" in the scripture one of the most touching times in history happened in a garden, Gethsemane.

*Gethsemane (an oil press), garden across the Kidron Valley on the Mount of Olives (Hebrew Har ha-Zetim), a mile-long ridge paralleling the eastern part of Jerusalem, where Jesus is said to have prayed on the night of his arrest before his Crucifixion. The name Gethsemane (Hebrew gat shemanim, "oil press") suggests that the garden was a grove of olive trees in which was located an oil press. Encyclopędia Britannica

Matthew 26
36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples,
Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them,
My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying,
O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter,
What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying,
O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them,
Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46
Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.



Not once but three times, less than 24 hours before His "Death" Jesus
prayed to Our Father, His Father in a garden. Is it important that Jesus choose a garden to do this? Most likely not, but one of those questions to ask when we meet Him for sure. But then maybe it is. Jesus asked His disciples to "watch with" Him. Yet they fell asleep. Now, if they were in a more "uncomfortable" spot might they not have fallen asleep? "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." He didn't say just if your uncomfortable watch and pray, He said do it in this garden.

Jesus is asking His Father to not let what is about to happen (His Death)
but at the same time is prepared to do Our Father's will. But even in those final hours He is giving "us" a chance, all we had to do was "watch and pray". Just as in the Garden of Eden we failed again. Jesus went to His death on The Cross-for us, not himself, not for Our Father God but for us. Are we in the garden alone now? Are we watching and praying as He asked? I love my time in the garden with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. My lowest times in my life have been when I couldn't for some reason be in the garden. My highest times have been while in the garden, listening and talking with Our Father. Is this coincidence? Or is it God speaking to me - we are to be like Jesus! Jesus did choose a garden to spend some of his last hours on earth, in earthly form, in a garden. I think it's pretty cool and look forward even more to spring when I can once again be in the garden,
not alone but with Our Father.


John 20:15-17
Jesus saith unto her,

Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?

She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him,
Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou
hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her,
Mary.
She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni;
which is to say, Master.
Jesus saith unto her,

Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.


Doesn't say "garden" but if Mary thought Jesus was a gardener then
would lead me to believe they were in a garden again - ummm He pops in to deliever one more message before ascending to Heaven.



lyrics to:
IN THE GARDEN
Words & Music: C. Austin Miles

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
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

Refrain

My prayer for all who read this and all who don't. May Our Father bless us all with the glory of His love, may He never leave us alone in the garden, may He walk with us and talk with us for eternity. May satan know he has no chance as we have the power of the Lord. May Our Lord Jesus Christ show us the paths to take and guide our steps along the cobblestones. Blessed Father thank you for all you have done for us, thank you for giving us the chance to share time in the garden with You, thank you for being Our Father. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.



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