The Garden of Our Hearts
by: Anne Coleman Hufham
September 4, 2024
“Watch over your heart, for from it flows the wellspring of life.”
Recently I have been learning about walking in the fullness of our purpose and calling in God, and part of that has been learning to value this idea of stewarding our hearts. There are a lot of aspects of walking in our calling that are up to God and God alone, and our job is to simply obey and respond to Him and to walk in the Spirit. Stewarding our hearts is part of our responsibility as sons and daughters. Proverbs 4:23 says “Watch over your heart, for from it flows the wellspring of life.” The passion translation says “Guard the affections of your heart.” Your heart is a garden. Song of Songs 4:12 says “A garden enclosed is my sister, my bride, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.” Our heart, our innermost being, is a garden. A garden for Christ’s enjoyment. In the parable of the sower, we read about “the seeds that fell on good soil,” talking about the soil of our hearts. We must tend the soil of our hearts. Song of Songs 2:15 “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards while our vineyard is in blossom.” These foxes can represent all sorts of things the enemy throws at us - doubt, anxiety, fear, distraction, etc. So how do we steward our hearts?
You have probably heard the saying “You become what you behold.” The degree to which we understand our identity and purpose is connected to our revelation of Jesus. All fruitfulness in our lives flows from this place of intimacy with the Lord. Ephesians 1:18 “Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” In Ephesians, we read “The eyes of our hearts,” giving our hearts the ability to perceive spiritual realities. As the eyes of our hearts are enlightened, our minds are renewed, and our faith is strengthened. We learn to recognize and understand how to live in agreement with God’s Kingdom rather than what we see with our natural eyes. The more we establish these truths about our spiritual reality in our thinking, the more we will understand the priority of stewarding our hearts. The more you gaze on the face of Jesus with the eyes of your heart, the more you see who you are becoming. Your passion for Jesus and conviction give you momentum to pursue this one thing, from which all other passions and purposes flow. Your pursuit attracts Heaven to bring you into that destiny. “I am alive to burn for God. I am alive to make Him known.”
What are we beholding? In moments when we are confronted by the clash between the physical realm (our current circumstances/problems) and what we cannot see, God has an agenda and the enemy has an agenda. We always choose to partner with one or the other. We can choose to buy into the enemy’s agenda which often opens us up to situations of temptation or toxicity like bitterness, anxiety, doubt, or disappointment. Or, we choose God’s agenda, and it proves and strengthens our character and faith to walk in our God-given purpose, showing Him that He can trust us with more of Himself. We have to be firmly convinced that we are doing great work for God. Only a passionate devotion to God and unwavering conviction about the identity and purpose He has given us will be stronger than the enemy’s resolve to distract us.
“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; The autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.”
If you are a believer in Jesus, you are on a pilgrimage until the day you are united with Jesus in Heaven. The word “baka” means “weeping.” We will pass through valleys of weeping, where we have a choice to make. We can learn to strengthen ourselves in the Lord, to dig deep and push past our current painful circumstances to draw water of refreshment from the Fountain that never runs dry. This Living Water is a gift we always have access to in Christ, and it is never far out of reach. It is not always easy, and sometimes we have to contend for the promises of God. He never sets us up to fail, only to grow. John 7:38 says “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” He has equipped us with everything we will ever need for whatever our circumstances bring us. How great is our God, who has richly provided for us through His Holy Spirit that dwells inside of us! I want to finish with Isaiah 58:11 which says “And Jehovah will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in the dry times, and strengthen your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not deceive.”
“How enriched are they who find their strength in the Lord; within their hearts are the highways of holiness! Even when their paths wind through the dark valley of tears, they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain. He gives to them a brook of blessing filled with the rain of outpouring. They grow stronger and stronger with every step forward, and the God of all gods will appear before them in Zion.” Psalm 84:5-7 TPT
Worship
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for never leaving me! Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I do not fear, for my God stands with me. Thank you, Lord, for filling me with Your Holy Spirit. The Spirit that empowers me to live an overcoming, victorious life. Thank you for giving me joy, Your joy, in every circumstance. You have given us everything we could ever need. May the garden of my heart be filled with the fruit of intimacy with the Holy Spirit - “divine love in all its expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit.” Thank you for inviting us into adventure and intimacy with You. Would our lives be pleasing to you as we go from strength to strength until we appear before you. Amen!
Further Study
Psalm 84 TPT
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