The Secret Garden Chronicles-Thy Word Is Like a Garden, Lord

It seems like forever since I actually sat down here in the garden alone with You, Lord. 

Oh, I've been here--in and out...to water the flowers

and visit with dear friends...but it's been a few days since it was just You and me, Lord.

So, here I am~ready to hear Your voice~Ready to listen~Ready to do Your will.

Psalm 119:2 says, "Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who SEEK Him with the WHOLE HEART

Psalm 119:10

"With my WHOLE HEART I have sought You;

Oh, Let me not wander from Your commandments!

vs. 11  

Your Word I have hidden in my heart,

that I might not sin against You."

vs. 16

"I will delight myself in Your statutes;

I will not forget Your word."

I discovered this very lovely old hymn while looking through my hymnbook.  I had never heard it before, but it seems to fit right here today.   Please click on this link to listen to this while you read the lyrics below.  

Thy Word Is Like a Garden, Lord 

 (Click Here to listen to this beautiful song)

by Edwin Hodder

Thy Word is like a garden, Lord, with flowers bright and fair;

And every one who seeks may pluck a lovely cluster there.

Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine; and jewels rich and rare

Are hidden in its mighty depths for every searcher there.

Thy Word is like a starry host: a thousand rays of light

Are seen to guide the traveler and make his pathway bright.

Thy Word is like an armory, where soldiers may repair;

And find, for life’s long battle day, all needful weapons there.

O may I love Thy precious Word, may I explore the mine,

May I its fragrant flowers glean, may light upon me shine!

O may I find my armor there! Thy Word my trusty sword,

I’ll learn to fight with every foe the battle of the Lord.

Psalm 119:103

"How sweet are Your words to my taste,

Sweeter than honey to my mouth."

Thank You, Lord, for Your Word. It soothes my soul and brings joy to my heart.

Lord, I pray for my friends who are reading this today, that they will be

blessed by Your Word, "with flowers bright and fair", 

and "pluck a lovely cluster" from the garden of Your Word.

Amen.

These pictures are of the azalea bushes that I have recently

planted here in the Secret Garden.  

They have already brought such loveliness to this place...

I look forward to watching them grow and flourish

as I am watered by God's Word here in the garden each day.

Meditate on These Things

For many years I have kept the above plaque on the top of my desk, above my computer, to serve as a reminder to consider what manner of things we were reading, watching, researching and contemplating as we surfed the internet and opened windows into a world beyond which we had ever imagined before.

Prior to the computer, this same little plaque sat above our television...for the same purpose.

Here is the complete verse from the Bible, found in the book of Philippians, chapter four and verse 8:

"Finally, Brethren, 

Whatever things are true,

Whatever things are noble,

Whatever things are just,

Whatever things are pure,

Whatever things are lovely,

Whatever things are of good report,

If there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy~

Meditate on these things."

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

The following Psalm is similar in its declaration of what things are truly worthy of our contemplation and prayerful meditation:

"The Law of the Lord is perfect,

converting the soul;

The testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple;

The statutes of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

The fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,

Yea, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Moreover by them Your servant is warned,

and in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can understand his errors?

Cleanse me from secret faults.

Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;

Let them not have dominion over me.

Then I shall be blameless,

and I shall be innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth

And the MEDITATIONS of my heart

Be ACCEPTABLE in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."

Amen.

Psalm 19:7-14

After reading the above Bible verses I have to stop and examine my own heart and mind regarding the things I meditate upon. According to the dictionary, some synonyms for the word meditate would be: ponder, muse; ruminate; cogitate, study, think, contemplate, plan, devise, contrive.

Likewise, the meditations of my heart would be things about which I ponder, muse,  ruminate , cogitate, study, think, contemplate, plan, devise or contrive to do. 

The final verse of Psalm 19 above has long been my life verse...first taught to me by my mother when I was a young girl.  She wrote this in my autograph book:  

My First Autograph Book...I think the scribbles along the top came from
one of my children...

I didn't realize until now that my mother had written a heading to her inscription in my book:

"A thought for every day"

I wonder what she would think today if she could see that I have made this verse my life-verse, and it is also inscribed at the bottom of my blog page as a daily reminder to make sure that whatever I write on these pages is indeed acceptable in God's sight.  Her early words have truly impacted my  whole life.  Something to ponder about what we teach our own children and grandchildren...

When I sit down at my computer each day, whether at home or at work, it would be wise to re-read these verses before I click on any icon on my desk-top...and say a little prayer that God would help me to heed these warnings and admonitions before I strike the first key or open the first window. I know that there have been times that I have inadvertently hit the wrong key at the wrong time and had things pop up that I did not intend to or wish to see. Those accidental incidents were sometimes shocking and caused me to recoil as though I'd been snake-bitten. Snake-bitten, as by that old serpent himself, "The devil made me do it."  But another Bible verse comes into play here:

"Thy Word have I hid in my heart,

That I might not sin against Thee."

Psalm 119:11 KJV

The fact is, when we hide God's Word in our hearts, verses like Philippians 4:8 and Psalm 19 will come back to remind us to take our eyes off of the offensive pages and help us to keep our meditations acceptable in God's sight.   Then we can declare with the Psalmist in Psalm 119:15-16 ~

"I will meditate on Your precepts,

And contemplate Your ways.

I will delight myself in Your statutes;

I will NOT forget Your Word."

Lord, please help me to remember these admonitions and exhortations from Your Word today. Forgive me when I fail to do so and help me to stay on the right track in what I say, look upon and write.  Thank you.  Amen.

Is Your Bible a Treasure or an Ornament?

  Click on this link to see a Video of people in China receiving Bibles for the first time in their lives.  This is a link to Facebook, and you may not be able to open it if you don't have a facebook account. I do hope you can see it, but if not, let me tell you about it.

In this video a group of Chinese young adults have received packages that contain new Bibles.  As soon as they open the packages and see what it in there, the people all rush to the center and start reaching for the Bibles as quickly as they can.There is a shout of joy coming from their hearts as each person receives his or her very own brand new Bible.  Then the shouting of joy turns to awe and amazement as they each grasp their Bibles in their hands and hug them to their breast. Many put the Bibles right up to their lips and kiss them and smell them and caress the Bible as if it is the very best gift ever received.  Some begin to weep softly as they hold this priceless treasure and realize that it is their very own Word of God, written especially for them and to keep and cherish forever.  I noticed some eagerly taking off the outer wrappers and opening their Bible, already searching for the Words of Life.

This 1 minute video touched my heart so deeply.  I cannot get it out of my mind, and that is why I had to share this with you.  Actually, this is a theme that has been on my mind for a little while.  The wonderful treasure that we have...God's Word, written as a love letter to His precious children....you and me...a message so powerful that kingdoms have been created, others have been conquered, lives have been changed so radically that the whole world has noticed. There is no other Word by which men's lives have been saved and changed....I could go on and on and on.  This book is THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD, written for us,

"the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." 

II Timothy 3:15-17

I recently was listening to a conversation among some church leaders who made the comment about an individual whom they considered to be a real Christian...he even brought his Bible to church.  I piped up and said, "and that's unusual?"  The reply was, "Well, yes, for a _______." (name of denomination).  I had to bite my tongue to keep from commenting further, but this is what I was thinking:

To not expect or encourage a person to take their own Bible to church with them is like telling a soldier to go into battle without his weapon. It's like telling a Doctor to go into surgery without his instruments. Like expecting the carpenter to build a house without any tools.  Like telling an expert violinist to make music without his violin and bow. It's like telling a student to take a test on a subject without him ever having read the book. It's like telling a believer that he's on his own in the world without any guidebook.

We wonder why denominations are having difficulty maintaining their churches and reaching the lost when they haven't been reading the instructions given to them by God...the whole foundation for establishing the church in the first place. When the average church member doesn't know how to find the book of John or Isaiah or Genesis or Ruth or Revelation or Matthew or Daniel or Micah or Zephaniah or Deuteronomy or Job or Psalms or Proverbs or Leviticus or Acts or Romans or Ephesians or Galatians or Philippians or Numbers or Nahum or Esther or Jeremiah or I Chronicles or I Corinthians or James, Jude, I Thessalonians or II Timothy or Hebrews....need I say more...?, then how can they expect to stand up against the foes of this life and have the Word of Life hidden in their hearts that they might not sin against God? (Psalm 119:11)
How will they know how to find words of comfort and peace when they are afraid or dying or lost or sick? How will they know how to "Train up a child in the way he should go, so that when he is old he will not depart from it?" (Proverbs 22:6).   How will they know the only way to heaven..."For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life?" (John 3:16).   Will they know that Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me?" ( John 14:6 )

Oh, dear friends, we cannot take this book, the Bible, God's Word, for granted.  Take one look at the faces of these precious Chinese children of God.  Listen to the joy in their voices as they received the Word of God into their hands.  Take note of the tears trickling down their faces, tears of joy, as they give thanks to the Lord for the gift of His Word, given to them so that they might find "the way, the truth, the life."

These Chinese Christians are most likely in an underground church, hidden away from the Chinese Government that forbids them to have their own Bibles, * and forbids missionaries from teaching God's Word to them. But they are willing to risk their lives for the sake of having this treasure that we so take for granted. It ought not be so.  If you have a Bible...maybe you have more than one or two...where is it? Do you read it daily?  Do you treasure it and hide its Words in your heart?  The day may come when we are no longer permitted to have our own Bibles in our country. It could happen...don't think it can't. (* Click on link above for more information on this.)

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox for now. This sure made me look at my Bible differently.  How about you?
Is YOUR Bible a treasure, or just an ornament on your table or bookshelf? Something to think about.

Old Tools vs.New Tools

My sons love to collect old tools.  Not any particular type of tool...just old...something that has been used by a true craftsman, a proven and trusted instrument to get the job done right! They have been blessed to have come from a long line of woodworkers and carpenters on both sides of the family tree, so they come by this interest honestly.  It would do their ancestors proud to see that their progeny have shown such a keen interest in the things that they also loved. 

By contrast, these sons enjoy brand new tools as well.  They find it difficult to walk away from the lure of the brand new shiny modern tools, built with the latest technology and materials, having all the newest features to make the job easier. 

Great-Grandaddy Martin's old wooden tool caddy, with
various old tools from his collection, along with additional old
tools from Grandpa Mursch's toolbox. Quite a treasure-trove!

The thing I have noticed about the newer tools is the fact that they seldom last very long.  I wonder if they are built with the same strength of steel as their predecessors, or with the quality of materials in the handles and knobs and joints.  Unless one spends a large amount of money for the well-known name brand of tools, it seems as though it isn't very long before that tool breaks and needs to be replaced.  It doesn't have the endurance of the old tools...it hasn't passed the test of time and strength.  Quite often it appears that these new tools just can't hold up under the stress and strain of the job for which it was created to complete. 

I was thinking about the difference between old tools and new tools today...but in a different way.  If you ever have watched a true master craftsman, you will notice that even though he may try some new tools to see how they work, he will most likely always go back to the good old tools he knows and trusts in his toolbox.  He loves the way they feel in his hands, the handles are worn smooth by years of use and they fit his grip perfectly.  The old hammer seems to be an extension of his hand as he hammers away at the nails like a well-oiled machine.  He knows exactly which level is true and exact, and has a favorite screwdriver or set of pliers that always turn the screws and nuts and bolts without twisting and stripping them.  He loves his old tools, and is reluctant to set them aside for the new. They are like his old friends, tried and true.

I wonder if God looks at His "old tools" that way...you know, His old servants and trusted workers who have stood the test of time and never gave up under the stress and strain of the task set before them. The ones who didn't have all the "new-fangled" methods and technology to make their job easier, like laptops and blackberries and the world literally at their fingertips via the internet, but they had to do things the hard way.  They literally had to "Go into all the world" and seek the lost souls who would never hear about a loving God any other way.  They only had one book in their back-pack...God's Word, the Bible, well worn and smooth by years of turning pages and searching for the exact word of truth to share with someone dying without hope. Pages that were dog-eared and marked with lines and notes written in the margin to help reinforce the power of the message to his own heart.  The only amount of memory in their "hard-drive" was what was placed there by years of study and practice.  There were no instant answers by "asking jeeves" or "Google".  The answers that were sought came through prayer and faith and trust...and waiting on God to respond...sometimes for years, but always on time. 

Yes, we love our new "tools", our computers, cell-phones, modern appliances that make our lives easier.  But there is one "old tool" we should never give up...God's Word, The Bible. Whatever shape or version or size you may prefer, just use it...don't put it on the shelf and forget it in favor of your new-fangled "tools"...keep it handy...take it with you wherever you go...memorize its contents...and you will always have all the tools you need to get through life in the best possible way. 

"Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You."             Psalm 119:11