Genesis 3:17-18 (Amplified) says, "And to Adam He said, Because you have listened and given heed to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you saying, You shall not eat of it, the ground is under a curse because of you. In sorrow and toil shall you eat (of the fruits) of it all the days of your life." Verse 18 says, "Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth for you and you shall eat the plants of the field."
Once sin had entered in through Adam, the Garden only produced that which the curse wrought. Until that time, God's blessings on the earth brought forth all good things. Genesis 2:9 (Amplified) says, "And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight or to be desired---good (suitable, pleasant) for food, the tree of life also in the center of the Garden, and the tree of the knowledge of (the difference between) good and evil and blessing and calamity."
When God made man, He also created everything man would ever need or could want in the garden. All of the "natural" things were born of the Spirit. Once sin entered and the curse took over, it required hard work to keep, tend and guard the garden.
When we became born again by the Word of God through Jesus, we were and are redeemed from the curse of the Law so that the blessing might come upon us through Jesus Christ. One thing that occurred at our becoming born again is that the garden has been remade. We found that under the curse, the ground brought forth the "thorns and thistles," according to Genesis 3:18 (Amplified).
Let's look at Isaiah 55:13 (Amplified) where the Holy Spirit speaks about those who are of the new covenant, saying, "Instead of the thorn shall come up the Cypress tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the Myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name of renown, for an everlasting sign (of jubilant exaltation), and memorial (to His praise) which shall not be cut off."
In the same chapter of Isaiah 55:10-11 (Amplified) God said, "For as the rain and snow came down from the heavens and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My Word be that goes out of My mouth, it shall not return to Me void (without producing any effect, useless), but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
The "Garden of the Lord" that's to produce now, isn't prospering from the that is cursed, but by the soil of the heart (spirit) belonging to the born again child of God who is blessed. The very same Word of God that spoke forth the first garden, has now spoken on behalf of His new garden which is the spirit of His children. Luke 17:21 (Amplified) says, "Nor will people say, Look! Here (it is)! or See (it is) there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you (in your hearts) and among you (surrounding you)."
This garden of the Lord in which we now have access, is the "blessed soil" or the heart and spirit of the believer. This new soil that the "seed" or the Word of God is sown, will produce like the earth's soil did before the fall. If God's Word is sown into the good soil of the born again child of God, will produce blessing like the Word was sent to do.
Jesus said in Mark 4:23-25 (Amplified) that, "If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend." Verse 24 goes on, "And He said to them, be careful what you are hearing, the measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you---and more (besides) will be given to you who hear." Verse 25 says, "For to him who has (ears to hear) will more be given; and from him who has nothing (no ears to hear); even what he has will be taken away (by force)."
If we will hear the Word and receive it in the soil of our born again spirit, then it will produce even thirty, sixty and a hundred fold if we will tend the garden. Some say that this refers only to the spiritual things and not the natural. But, I will remind you that everything we can touch or see came from the Spirit. John 1:3 (Amplified) tells us, "All things were made and came into existence through Him (the Word) and without Him (the Word) was not even one thing made that has come into being."
Let's look into Proverbs 4:20-27 (Amplified) which says, "My son, attend to My Words; consent and submit to My sayings , Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart (spirit) For they are life to those who find them; healing and health to all their flesh."
This isn't just spiritual, but for your flesh.
Verse 23 goes on, "Keep and guard your heart (spirit) with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life ."
Isn't this the same thing God instructed Adam to do in the first Garden?
God gives us one of the keys for keeping the garden in Verse 24 saying, "Put away from you all false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put from you."
Remember what God said in Isaiah 55:11 (Amplified), "So shall My Word be that goes forth out of my mouth; (the sower sows the or Word), It shall not return to Me void (without producing any effect, useless)." Mark 4 says God's Word will produce, "30, 60, or 100 fold, but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
We haven't been guarding our hearts (our gardens) against some of the seeds (words) of the enemy, just like Adam failed to do. We forget that words are seeds and they will all grow in "good" soil. Seeds of strife, anger, malice, bitterness, division, envy, deceit and many such wild seeds are constantly being sown by the world and the enemy. Mark 4:18-19 (Amplified) says, "And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word, then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasures and delight and false glamor and deceitfulness of riches and the cravings and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word and it becomes fruitless."
That's not tending the garden!
No comments:
Post a Comment