The Garden of the Heart

I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse (SONG OF SOLOMON 5:1).

The believer's heart is Christ's garden. He bought it with His precious blood, and He enters it and claims it as His own.

A garden implies separation. It is not a public area or an open wilderness; it is walled off, hedged in. If only we would see the wall of separation between the church and the world made broader and stronger! It makes me sad to hear Christians saying, "Well, there is no harm in this, there is no harm in that." Too many professing believers are getting as close to the world as possible. Grace is lacking in the soul that can even ask how far it may go in worldly behavior.

A garden is a place of beauty. It far surpasses wild, uncultivated lands, more excellent in their lives than even the most moral unbeliever, because Christ's garden ought to produce the best flowers in the world. Even our best is poor compared with what Christ deserves-so may we never offer Him withering, dying plants. The rarest, richest, choicest lilies and roses ought to bloom in the place that Jesus calls His own.

A garden is a place of growth. Saints are not to go undeveloped, remaining as mere buds and blossoms. We should grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Growth should be quick where Jesus is the Gardener and the Holy Spirit the dew from above.

A garden is a place of seclusion. So the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to reserve our souls as a place where He can show himself, in ways He does not show himself to the world. Oh,keeping their hearts more carefully shut off for Christ! Like the Lord's friend Martha, we often worry and trouble ourselves with activity, and we don't have the room for Christ that Mary had. We should sit at His feet like Mary did.

May the Lord give sweet showers of His grace, to water His garden today.

—Charles Spurgeon