In the Garden

OK, So here we are we have made it to the end of the week YES! It's FRIDAY! here is some words of wisdom for ALL of to reflect on Read: Matthew 26:36-42 Bible in a Year: Proverbs 10-12; 2 Corinthians 4 My Father, . . . may your will be done. —Matthew 26:42 My forefathers were pioneers in Michigan. They cleared the land, planted crops, and cultivated gardens to raise food for their families. This agrarian bent has been passed down through the generations. My dad grew up on a Michigan farm and loved gardening, which may explain why I love gardening and the smell of fertile soil. Cultivating plants that bear beautiful flowers and tending roses that fragrantly grace our yard with beauty are enjoyable pastimes for me. If it weren’t for the weeds it would be wonderful! When I have to wrestle with the weeds, I am reminded of the garden of Eden; it was a perfect garden until Adam and Eve disobeyed God and thorns and thistles became a reality for them and every gardener since then (Gen. 3:17-18). The Bible also mentions another garden—the garden of Gethsemane where Christ, in deep distress, pleaded with His Father to find another way to reverse sin’s consequences that were born in Eden. In Gethsemane, Jesus surrendered to His Father by uttering words of full obedience in the face of great pain: “Your will be done” (Matt. 26:42). Because Jesus surrendered in that garden, we now harvest the benefits of His amazing grace. May this lead us to surrender to His weeding of sin from our lives. —Joe Stowell Lord, thank You for the amazing price You paid to free me from sin. May the reality of the victory You won encourage me to reject the sin that entangles my ability to be fruitful for You. Spiritual growth occurs when faith is cultivated. INSIGHT: While Gethsemane is usually referred to as a “garden,” it was in reality more like an orchard of olive trees. A portion of that orchard still remains today at the foot of the Mount of Olives, just across the Brook Kidron from the old city of Jerusalem and the temple mount. From Gethsemane, you have a clear view of the Eastern Gate where it is believed the Messiah will enter Jerusalem when He returns to earth at His second coming. Imagine: In the shadow of the place where Jesus will be greatly honored as the arriving King is the garden where His sufferings began. Bill Crowder