HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE GARDEN

“And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.”

Mark 14:32 KJV

Eleanor Allen Schroll wrote a beautiful heart touching and inspiring hymn “The Beautiful Garden of Prayer”.  I love these words.  “There’s a garden where Jesus is waiting, And I go with my burden and care, Just to learn from His lips words of comfort In the beautiful garden of prayer.”

One of the most heart breaking things to me about having arthritis is not being able to kneel and pray.  I used to kneel beside my bed and have my devotions.  I would read the Bible out loud and sing and pray out loud.  What a precious time I had with my beautiful Saviour.  How I miss those times.

I have a wonderful family and many good friends but though I have a good time with them and love being with them, nothing compares to the joy of being in the presence of Jesus.  “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalms 16:11).

Have you been to the garden of prayer?  Jesus is waiting for you to fellowship with Him.  I think we sometimes forget that Jesus has feelings too.  Just as we want Him to love us and fellowship with us so He wants us to love Him and fellowship with Him.  When is the last time you told Jesus you love Him?

The best way to prove to Jesus we love Him is to serve Him.  Serving Him means that we have to shut off the television, get out of our comfort zone and tell everyone we see that Jesus loves them so much He died for them.  Are you willing to shut off the television and serve the One Who died for you?

Joanne Lowe

May 20, 2017