The Garden Gate

By, Ginger E. Mosher

www.GEMgallery.org

I knew the abundant blessings of God’s goodness and generosity, but I felt uneasy when He led me to read the Old Testament instructions in Malachi 3 which tell us to return to Him and He will return to us; to quit robbing the Lord of Hosts with our tithes and offerings and thereby living under a curse. Since we live under the New Testament and give with a cheerful heart, I wasn’t sure what the Spirit of God was saying, so I read on. The instructions said to “bring all the tithes into the storehouse” and watch Him “open the windows [or floodgates] of heaven” pouring out more blessing than we have room to receive. What an amazing offer! He, also, promised to “rebuke the devourer” for us, and said we would be “called blessed by all nations” as the result of being such “a delightful land.” (Malachi 3:8-12 NKJV) Still not sure how I was robbing God, I asked the Lord to please explain. His simple response was that we had been robbing Him in regard to our time, our prayers, and being the vessels, or gates, on Earth through which His life-giving blessings can flow.

With this on my heart, I began painting the backdrop of the painting in what seemed to resemble a Japanese style ink wash. I wondered how this eastern style of painting related and was led in the scriptures to a “garden eastward in Eden” in Genesis 2:8-15 (NKJV). The section was entitled, “Life in God’s Garden.” There, we are told, God placed Adam, along with "every tree pleasant to the sight and good for food." It also says a river went out of Eden to water this garden and from there it became four riverheads going out into the world with deposits of good gold and more. According to verse 15, “the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”

As I painted and prayed, I found myself singing the old hymn, “In the Garden,” by C. Austin Miles. It speaks of the wonderful joy of walking and talking with God in the garden. As we are walking and talking and co-laboring with Him in the garden, we are to live our lives as His active ambassadors on the Earth. Like Adam, we are to tend the garden and keep it. We are to be the open gates through which His kingdom comes.

We have been given the keys of authority, as shown in the painting’s upper right hand corner, and we are the trees of righteousness, pleasant for sore eyes. We have the leaves [or hands] for healing the sick and the spiritual food to feed those who hunger. We have the rivers of living water flowing through us to give to those who are thirsty. Blessed to be a blessing, it is time for us to flow with His Spirit and let His Spirit flow unhindered through us.

Ezekiel 47:1-8 speaks of a life-giving river flowing out from the temple. Its depth is measured four times, as reflected in the painting below the gate. The first 1,000 cubits of the river measure ankle deep representing a level of faith. (I find it very interesting that a cubit equals approximately 18 inches, which is the actual size of this painting.) The second 1,000 cubits of the river measure knee deep, symbolizing submission to God. The third 1,000 cubits measure the river coming up to the waist, which stands for truth. Finally, the fourth 1,000 cubits measure a river so deep one must swim, symbolizing full surrender to God’s will flowing in, around, and through us. We are told that when this river reaches the sea of humanity, even the sea’s waters are healed and that wherever this river goes, everything will live.

So what are we waiting for? The deep waters of surrender really are the best. Returning to God, giving Him our time, our prayers, even ourselves as open gates to the world around us promises to bring more blessing than we have room to receive. And remember, “all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:12 AMP).

Is there a yes yearning in your spirit to be an open floodgate of heaven; to let His river of life flow through you? Well then, so be it! And let the earth be glad!

* Miles, C. Austin. “In the Garden.” 1913. Published in The Hymnal for Worship & Celebration: Containing Scriptures from the New American Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, the Holy Bible, New International Version, the New King James Version. Edited by Tom Fettke. Waco, TX: Word Music, 1986. p. 425. Print.