A Garden Affair

Mountain climbing is a garden affair. How so, You ask? 

In Song of Solomon 4:6 we see a picture of a  bride (church) who determines to go up the mountain to pursue her bridegroom (Messiah). 

This is a picture of our lives in pursuit of Yahweh. As we traverse some treacherous ground, there are garden spots, with springs and refreshing streams along the way.

Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. SOS 4:6

If you read further in the chapter it reveals a stunning garden scene, where they speak to one another in mutual adoration. 

Recently, I attended an AGLOW meeting, one of the speakers declared....

"Your whole purpose is to be loved. That's it, that's your purpose."

Only Messiah, the bridegroom really understands the heart of a bride. This is why He uses an example of a pure, loving, marriage in the Gospels. All other purposes and actions come out of the action of loving and being loved.

I love the book written about the purpose driven life, it re-directed a lot of people to further consider their life and it's outcome. 

However, our purpose is not based or fulfilled in our call, our career, our title, our gifting.....

Our purpose is solely to adore Yahweh and in response to His grace...

to yield, to receive, to be filled with His love. 

Only then, can we pour out selfless love onto others; those who need healing and the necessary revelation of their own purpose. 

Our call is what we do but it is not who we are. He is our significance and being loved is who we are. We are His beloved. That is our true identity.

On our mountain trek, on the dusty trail, we discover our true grit, who we really are in His plan. 

We discover by stepping into the garden places, the waterholes, the caves and dens of refuge that seem like unwelcome places from the outside. 

We kneel and gaze into what looks like a dark place, yet we need shelter from the storm. We venture in with Hope and Trust and we find a small pool of Living Water. 

His Living Water reveals our identity- as someone would gaze into a tranquil pond and see their own image looking back;

yet in the shimmering waters.... Yahweh's face is illuminated within the outline of our own image.

He is gazing back in love. In the garden, you take time to drink deeply and to ruminate upon His Word, which is the source of the Living Water.

You take time to gaze into the mirror of His Word, in the garden place, on your trek upon your mountain. 

The high places of life, are the places you- go up- to get a better view of your horizons. He is your trail guide. The Lord sought out these places, as well. He too was seeking His love and purpose.

Jesus' ultimate garden experience was a place of prayer, blood sweat and tears... and treachery...

Yet, ours is a place of resurrection and redemption. It's  a place to gaze upon His lovely face. It is a place of rest and reward for the effort of the climb. 

Yet it is in the cleft of the rock, the place next to His heart, which was pierced. It is a place to acknowledge our needs as well as our dreams and goals.

Messiah spent time venturing up into the mountains and hills to listen for the voice of His Father. It was love that affirmed Him.

In the very beginning and the very end of His 3 1/2 year ministry He also took His disciples up into the mountain, to the garden place. It was a hidden place, a place you had to follow Him into. His love was the way in!

Mark 3:13 says, And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 

Then He appointed the twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.

It goes on to say, He ordained them. Our call is separate from our identity but our call does come out of the mountain garden, a place of adoration and simply soaking in His love. 

Our God, our creator has a longing to be pursued, just as anyone in love has a desire to be sought after.

We need to go up with Him. We need to pursue Him. How strange a picture this is, a bride pursuing the bridegroom, yet this is the way in Song of Solomon.

Pursuit... It is our way because He has pursued us with the ultimate price, He gave His life as a wedding gift. He gave His all.

In Song of Solomon2:9 the bride sees a vision of her beloved, He appears as gazelle or young stag, upon the mountains. She continues to see this vision through out her life drama; through out the story told within the Song of Solomon.

Behold, He stands behind our wall; gazing through the lattice. My beloved spoke, and said to me; Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

It is following this encounter that she makes a free will choice….

I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. 

She determines to go there...until the shadows flee.

When we see Him as a stag upon the mountains, this is the time to follow Him up the trail. 

The scriptures declare.....

As a deer pants for water so my soul pants for the Living God.

Deer know the scent of water, fresh mountain water, they often cross streams to throw their scent off, if a predator is following them. 

So if your trail is following the Lord and you feel you are zig-zaggin; this is His plan to deliver you from evil.

Don't grow weary in well doing. Keep on trekking. Mountain water is the best kind.

In Psalms, David often describes, in detail, his mountain treks. Psalm 23, for example, leads us into that same garden which is described in Song of Solomon 4:6-10, He lays down besides still waters. 

He passes through a valley shadowed and frightening but he leans on his shepherds staff. 

He comes to a Tent (or garden area) where the Lord has prepared a table before Him. In this tent he experiences the same mutual adoration described in Song of Solomon.

Much of Psalms is a description of a mountain trail and when the psalmist inserts the word Selah....just know, this is a cleft in the rock, a garden place where you can rest from the weather outside.

On your treacherous journey through this fallen landscape, there are places provided for you to rest, to go higher, deeper into His lovingkindness. 

You must follow the trail of the mountain deer. David describes how the Lord causes him to be fit and strong for the rough terrain.

You make my feet like hinds feet on my high places....You enlarged the path under me, so my feet did not slip. Psalm 18:33, 36

No one can walk your trail for you except the One who is pictured as the stag upon the mountains. He has prepared places along the way, in the cleft of the rock. 

You may hear the faint sound of water dripping or a small flow of a stream. You have to become lovesick to find these places. You must be like the deer in Psalm 42:1....panting for a drink of His Living Water. 

The entry into the cleft of the rock, into the garden is right there within your own heart.

He is the door and He is dwelling in your heart. The way to strengthen your hinds feet is by bowing low, by getting on your knees. It's the surest way to the highest place.

That is how Messiah found His garden places, that is how He found His loyal followers. They were willing to go  to the Mountain of myrrh...they followed the sound of His voice....the refreshing sound...

The sound of many waters.

                                                  Mountain climbing is

 a garden affair.