Coming to Rest in Your Inner Garden

The story of Israel is a lesson in God’s ways. He established decrees for Jacob and established the law in Israel, and He commanded our forefathers to teach them to their children. In this way, every generation will have a living faith in the laws of life and will never forget the faithful ways of God. By following His ways they will break the past bondage of their fickle fathers, who were a stubborn, rebellious generation and whose spirits strayed from the eternal God. They refused to love Him with all their hearts. They didn’t really believe the promises of God; they refused to trust Him and move forward in faith. Again and again they limited God, preventing Him from blessing them. Continually they turned back from Him and provoked the Holy One of Israel! They forgot His great love, how He took them by His hand, and with redemption’s kiss He delivered them from their enemies.  Psalms 78:5, 7-8, 10, 41-42 TPT

Those who first heard the good news of deliverance failed to enter into that realm of faith’s rest because of their unbelieving hearts. Yet the fact remains that we still have the opportunity to enter into the faith-rest life and experience the fulfillment of the promise! For God still has ordained a day for us to enter into, called “Today.” For it was long afterwards that God repeated it in David’s words, “If only today you would listen to His voice and do not harden your hearts!” So then, we must cling in faith to all we know to be true. For we have a magnificent King-Priest, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who rose into the heavenly realm for us, and now sympathizes with us in our frailty. He understands humanity, for as a Man, our magnificent King-Priest was tempted in every way just as we are, and conquered sin. So now we come freely and boldly to where love is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness.  Hebrews 4:6-7, 14-16 TPT

And now we are brothers and sisters in God’s family because of the blood of Jesus, and he welcomes us to come into the most holy sanctuary in the heavenly realm—boldly and without hesitation. For he has dedicated a new, life-giving way for us to approach God. For just as the veil was torn in two, Jesus’ body was torn open to give us free and fresh access to Him!  We come closer to God and approach Him with an open heart, fully convinced that nothing will keep us at a distance from Him. For our hearts have been sprinkled with blood to remove impurity, and we have been freed from an accusing conscience. Now we are clean, unstained, and presentable to God inside and out!            Hebrews 10:19-20, 22 TPT

…Give me grace to demonstrate to the next generation all Your mighty miracles and Your excitement, to show them Your magnificent power! For Your glorious righteousness reaches up to the high heavens. No one could ever be compared to You! Who is your equal, O God of marvels and wonders?  Psalms 71:18-19 TPT

Now you are ready, my bride, (my church) to come with me as we climb the highest peaks together. Come with me through the archway of trust. We will look down from the crest of the glistening mounts and from the summit of our sublime sanctuary. Together we will wage war in the lion’s den and the leopard’s lair as they watch nightly for their prey. Your loving words are like the honeycomb to me; your tongue releases milk and honey. The fragrance of your worshiping love surrounds you with scented robes of white. Your inward life is now sprouting, bringing forth fruit. What a beautiful paradise unfolds within you. When I’m near you, I smell aromas of the finest spice, for many clusters of my exquisite fruit now grow within your inner garden. Here are the nine: pomegranates of passion, henna from heaven, spikenard so sweet, saffron shining, fragrant calamus from the cross, sacred cinnamon, branches of scented woods, myrrh, like tears from a tree, and aloe as eagles ascending. Your life flows into mine, pure as a garden spring. A well of living water springs up from within you, like a mountain brook flowing into my heart!        Song of Songs 4:8, 11, 13-15 TPT

Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again. Psalms 126:4 TPT

.. your strength shall be my song of joy. At each and every sunrise, my lyrics of your love will fill the air! For you have been my glory-fortress, a stronghold in my day of distress.  Psalms 59:16 TPT