The Garden Gate

I know the abundant blessings of God’s goodness and generosity. Yet, I felt uneasy when He led me to read the Old Testament instructions in Malachi 3. In this passage, the Lord tells His people to return to Him and He will return to us—to quit robbing the Lord of our tithes and offerings which places us under a curse. (See verses 8-12 NJKV)

Because we live under the New Testament and give with a cheerful heart, I wasn’t sure what the Spirit of God was saying to me through these verses. So I continued reading. The instruction clearly says we are 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 3:10-11 NKJV).

Still unsure how I might be robbing God, I asked the Lord to please explain. He simply responded that we had been robbing Him of our time, our prayers, and willingness to be His vessels—or gates—on the earth through which His life-giving blessings can flow.

With this on my mind and no preplanning of style, I began the background of the painting. What emerged resembled the look of a Japanese ink wash. Searching for the relevance of this eastern style, I was led in Scripture to a “garden eastward in Eden” under the heading— “Life in God’s Garden” (Genesis 2:8-15 NKJV). There I read that God placed Adam, along with “every tree pleasant to the sight and good for food.” Also, 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,”[1] by C. Austin Miles. Its lyrics speak 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 hidden in the leaves of the trees—in the painting’s upper right-hand corner, because we are the trees of righteousness, pleasant for sore eyes. We have the leaves [or hands] for healing the sick and the spiritual nourishment to feed those who hunger. His river of living water flows 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 47:1-9 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 measures ankle deep representing faith. (Interestingly, a cubit is about 18 inches, which is also the size of this painting.) The second 1,000 cubits measures knee deep, symbolizing submission to God. The third 1,000 cubits measures the river coming up to the waist, representing truth. Finally, the fourth 1,000 cubits measures a river so deep one can only swim, symbolic of complete surrender to flowing in God’s will. In the last two verses, we are told “when it reaches the sea [of humanity], its waters are healed. And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live” (NKJV).

So what are we waiting for? The deep waters of surrender really are the best place to be. 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!

By, Ginger E. Mosher
www.GEMgallery.org

[1] 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.