God’s Perfect Garden

Isaiah 27:2-6

On that day (the day of the LORD when He brings judgment on Leviathan, the serpent), sing about a desirable vineyard: I, the LORD watch over it; I water it regularly, I guard it night and day so that no one disturbs it. I am not angry, but if it produces thorns and briers for Me, I will fight against it, trample it, and burn it to the ground. Or let it take hold of My strength; let it make peace with Me- make peace with Me. In the days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will blossom and bloom and fill the whole world with fruit.

God promises to slay Leviathan and free us from the serpent’s choke hold. This is what happens when we become a Christian. The Devil no longer has a hold on us, and we belong to God through Christ. In our Christian walk, God begins to create a new vineyard, and God waters and nurtures this new garden. God gives us reason to sing a new song when we surrender to Him because He begins a new work in our lives that will make us fruitful and productive.

God guards our lives as His children so no one can disturb the work He is producing in us. If the gardens of our lives begin to produce thorns and briers, God will fight against them because they will choke out the fruit and take the nourishment from it. He is not angry when thorns and briers appear. They will come naturally, and His job is to fight against our natural tendencies so we bear good fruit as His garden. If, however, our natural flesh takes hold of His strength and makes peace with Him, even our thorns and briers will bear fruit!

Thorns and briers tend to appear after a long, harsh winter. Indeed, the coldness of life can bring out the worst in us. The newness of spring and the approaching blooms cannot survive if they are not cut from us. God will be faithful to prune those things away so the beauty of our blooms can burst forth. We can be assured that our lives will take root and blossom and bloom within His care. His desire is for us to fill the whole world with fruit and display the loveliness of His garden. We must remember that our fruit is not for ourselves but for others.

God is not mad at you, but He will prune away any thorns and briers that threaten to choke the fruit He is producing in you. He is not working against you but for you. Continue to sing a song of praise for this new garden He is creating in your life. Take hold of His strength, and make peace with Him. He will make even the thorns and briers of your flesh fruitful if you will only submit to His perfect care. He is growing something beautiful in you that will bear much fruit and feed others who need to know that such a garden exists. Don’t fight the pruning; allow Him to reveal His glory in you.

Have a blessed day!