the garden state.

Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. Genesis 2:8

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11


during the past couple weeks, i've seen the word "garden" pop up at me on numerous occasions commanding my attention. given that i do live in the garden state and i have been watching lots of linsanity on the msg network, i guess it's not too shocking that i'm exposed to many "gardens" these days. maybe it's just that i never really noticed all the references before. in any case, it got me thinking about Jesus in the garden and what that even means. in genesis, eden was paradise. there was no separation between God and His creation and everything was just as it should be. before sin entered the world and this perfect garden was interrupted and tainted, there was an absence of fear, shame and pain. i know it seems nearly impossible to imagine that kind of serenity that existed in genesis 2, and maybe our lives are a far cry from what eden was like. but i believe that eden is more than just a physical heavenly place that inhabited the earth once upon a time. even more significant than a state of mind and deeper than just plain perspective, being found by God in the garden is simply about pure delight and pleasure. it's the awesome privilege we have of retreating with the lover of our souls regardless of the state of our hearts, regaining faith to see His immeasurable goodness in the midst of storms, and effortlessly enjoying His presence. i realize i might come off like a naive flower child here, escaping from reality without a worry in the world. believe me, i've had my fair share of hardships, my life is by no means perfect, and i'm no stranger to heartache. even still, i know the main thing that fuels my faith in love and gives me ridiculous hope is finding Him in the garden again and again. i had a job interview yesterday on a busy street on 5th avenue. i rode the elevator up and sat in a corner conference room with a gorgeous view of the NYC skyline. what immediately caught my eyes were all the exquisite gardens on rooftops and terraces of the other high-rise buildings. from all the noise and traffic on the ground level, you would never know that there was such tranquility and beauty just an elevator ride away. i guess that's what the garden is to me. it's about relationship and spending quality time with the One i love. it's out of this place that i'm inevitably elevated to see life through the clarity of His vision and i'm able to walk out in solid faith in a really, really good God.

I am my Beloved’s and He is mine, so come into Your garden and take delight in me.
Take delight in me.