Secret Garden - Amanda Rasbeary
Secret Garden and how it sustains you through the hard things.
Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Mat 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Fruit or flowers are a goal in a garden. The same should be true in our life. We all want a meaningful and fruitful life, right??? The God of heaven has made it possible and even desires it more than you! The problem is that far too many of us do not want to put in the effort it takes to make a beautiful Secret Garden. It is not something that others often see so we neglect it.
Seeds are the truths in the Word of God and their evidences produced in our life we plant in the soil of our life in order to watch them grow. Yet, in order to grow we have to make an effort. A plan must be made and time set aside to plant anything to grow. Likewise to have a good devotional and prayer life you must make a plan. You must carry out the plan with diligence because everything will try to keep you from your time.
Mar 4:27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
Mar 4:28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
Mar 4:29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
Mar 4:30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
Mar 4:31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
Mar 4:32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
We must accept the truth seeds even if this means admitting we are wrong. Our pride will get in the way just like rocks, weeds, thorns and hard patches of ground. We must hide the truths in our heart and have faith God is using them. Long periods without God’s word will rob us of the nutrients we need to produce fruit. There may still be green and maybe leftover fruit but it eventually will die out. When fruit is produced no matter how small we must let it die so we can plant again to produce more fruit. We cannot live on victories of the past we must keep producing new fruit. There may be winter times but the plant and our devotional and prayer life needs to be protected. Even when we see no growth or tangible outcome. God works even when we can’t see or feel it!!
Soil is the place where these truths develop roots and get the nourishment they need to become the plant intended it to be. This is a crucial part of growth in our life! It may require that we remove some things that are not good for tender plants. Sin is an obvious thing we should move. But what about those things that hold us back? Excuses and bad time management. It requires we add things that our plant needs. We may have to increase our faith, patience, love or longsuffering. But will cost us things time, treasure and talents. You will have to watch for weeds and pests that will kill your Secret Garden.
Mat 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
Mat 13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
Mat 13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
Mat 13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
Mat 13:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
Mat 13:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirty fold
Sunshine is God’s perfect will in our life we are reaching for that we must constantly reach for or we will become pale and stunted. We must reach for God’s ever present communication in every situation. We must seek ways to grow closer to him. We must accept the direction God leads.
Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
As we come to the end of this you say this is not anything I did not already know. And to that I would say I know!! But to bring this home I have just been diagnosed with Stage 2B Triple Negative Invasive Mammary Carcinoma. And my resting place is my Secret Garden. My walk with the Lord that has kept me centered. I did not have to start a prayer life. I did not have to begin again. I just walked in to my beautiful garden and looked at it’s beautifully grown plants and rested in God’s work in my life thus far. I got in there as before and weeded and planted new things. I have had no need to blame God I could feel his Sunshine as before when all was good. I do not feel punished or forsaken. I sit here know you too can have this peace too but that Secret Place will not be there if you neglect it and only visit and tend it infrequently. If it is a mess when you come for comfort your soul will not rest as it should. If I could beg you to do anything in your Christian life that would be make that relationship with Christ a necessary part of life not a job or duty. While there may be some times when it can feel like that (usually because we are not yielding) it should never stay that way. Make yourself a beautiful Secret Garden!
Conclusion
Practical tips for a successful secret garden.
1. Make a time adjust as necessary.
2. Read consistently, devotionally, studiously. Mix it up.
3. Judge yourself critically in prayer and give it to God.
4. Be thankful.
5. Lay your heart before God.
6. Have a list.
7. Make God your friend and His Word your love letter.
8. No matter how often you fail go back!
Seeds are the truths in the Word of God and their evidences produced in our life we plant in the soil of our life in order to watch them grow.
Soil is the place where these truths develop roots and get the nourishment they need to become the plant intended it to be.
Sunshine is God’s perfect will in our life we are reaching for that we must constantly reach for or we will become pale and stunted.