A Garden Belonging to Him!

 

A Garden Belonging to Him

“A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a rock garden locked, a spring sealed up.”
—Song of Songs 4:12     

Reflection

In the ancient world there were two types of gardens: private and public. Public gardens were open for anybody to enjoy, but wealthy people often had private gardens, locked and sealed for their own enjoyment. Through this picture, Yeshua is saying, You are to Me as a sealed garden, exclusively for Me. Nothing will come in that defiles or pollutes. 

We must put boundaries of protection around our lives, not allowing the defiling influence of the world inside. This is why we should not willingly take in things that, while they might be interesting or entertaining, pollute our souls. We do not get to reserve some of our lives for our own enjoyment apart from God.

The garden belongs to Him.

This surrender reaches into very practical areas of our lives. Even things God created for our pleasure must remain under His authority. Our bodies also belong to Him. We are to respect our bodies as the temple of His Spirit. Keep your body as if God lives in it, because He does. It is part of His garden locked.

But this locked garden is not barren. It is full of abundance.

Song of Songs continues, “Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits.” A tree contains some fruit, but an orchard contains much more. The picture is of super-abundance in Him. Whoever abides in Him bears much fruit. When we feed on God’s Word and cling to it, we are like a tree planted by rivers of living water, constantly bearing fruit in every season.

Then we read, “You are a garden spring, a well of fresh water, and streams flowing from Lebanon.” There is beautiful meaning here. A garden spring speaks to the reality of the indwelling Spirit of Christ. Jesus said His life within us becomes a well of water springing up to eternal life. A well of fresh water speaks of the freshness we carry as we abide in Messiah Jesus. It is not stale religion, but everlasting life continually bubbling up afresh and anew.

And streams flowing outward speak of life that touches not only us, but those we encounter.

Beloved, Jesus desires all of you. Allow nothing in that defiles, and hold nothing back from Him. As you abide in Him, His life within you becomes springs, wells, and rivers of living water.

Application

• Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you need stronger boundaries so that nothing defiling is allowed into the garden of your life.
• Surrender every area to Jesus and abide in Him, trusting His life within you to produce abundant fruit and living water.

Prayer

Father, empower me to live as a locked garden enclosed, not allowing anything in that defiles or holding back any part of my life from You. Jesus, give me the confidence to completely trust You and surrender every area to Your authority. Let Your life within me become springs, wells, and rivers of living water. Show me where I need to close doors and where I have allowed the influence of the world into what belongs to You. Teach me to abide in You so that my life bears much fruit and brings life to those around me. Thank You that You have given me the victory in Jesus’ name. Amen.