WELL-WATERED

Their souls shall be like a WELL-WATERED GARDEN, and they shall sorrow no more at all – Jeremiah 31:12b

When God “waters” a place, life or destiny, such is WELL-WATERED – never to languish again! That has been His pattern from the beginning: “But a mist went up from the earth and WATERED the whole face of the ground” (Gen.2:6). Eden was well-watered: “Now a river went out of Eden to WATER the garden; and from there it parted and became four riverheads” (Gen.2:10). God assured the remnant of His people: “…their lives will be like a well-watered garden, never again left to dry up” (Jer.31:12b, MSG). A garden is a portion of ground which is extraordinarily cultivated; usually separated and enclosed from common ground, with much labour and attention employed to improve its soil, and enrich it with pleasant and profitable fruits and vegetables. Similarly, the redeemed soul is like a watered, walled-around, peculiar garden! Gardens usually contain varied kinds of edible or ornamental plants. Out of the soul renewed by grace, the Lord causes to spring up and grow heavenly virtues that either please God or are useful to humanity.

The watered garden has three key characteristics: freshness, fertility, and beauty. As His well-watered garden God ensures your freshness! Rapid evaporation in hot, dry seasons often lead to hard, dry surfaces, crusted over, and perhaps cracked. In the watered garden, vegetation continues to spring fresh and jubilant in all seasons. The true believer can be fresh and vigorous in soul in both the midsummer heat of life and the harsh seasons of spiritual drought. Even when the hot winds of temptation blow directly from the burning desert of sin, your leaves shall not wither, and the reality of your spiritual life shall neither shrink nor be corrupted (Psa. 1:3). As His well-watered garden God guarantees your fertility. The increased fertility of a watered garden represents a Christian’s potential for fruitfulness as branch of the Vine (Jh.15:1-8). A watered garden also infers a cultivated garden; nourished and nurtured to flourish. God preserves the beauty and loveliness of His gardens all through life.

Gardens seldom arrive at their full glory in an instant. So it is with Grace; it may initially seem small and insignificant; knowledge may be imperfect; faith unsteady and wavering, love bounded and limited, and hope too often droops. But there is always room for growth. The Four Fundamentals of a Well-Watered Garden are: good soil; good seed; abundant water; and proper weeding. The soil is the human heart; this could be the wayside heart, rocky heart, thorny heart or ready heart – the good ground (Lk.8: 5-15). The good seed is the Word of God; any other word could be harmful or useless. Abundance of water infers that souls need refreshing by the means of grace, if they’ll keep alive for God. Our souls are refreshed through: the Living Water of the Word (The Bible), private prayer and personal devotion; and public worship or corporate fellowship. The fully watered garden is also well weeded: early, daily, and always by the roots!

“The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail” (Isa.58:11). Beloved, in this Season of the Fullness of God, I pray that you will arise and shout for joy on the height of Zion, and be radiant over the bounty of the LORD…your life will be like a watered garden, and you will never languish again (Jer.31:12). Every garden needs rain. And in the new covenant, we have the grace to be filled with the Holy Spirit – the rain of heaven. It is time to seek God wholeheartedly for this. To be filled with the Holy Spirit means to have every area of your life under the control of the Holy Spirit. Open yourself to Heaven’s rain, every day of your life, and your life will be like a watered garden. The refreshing showers of the Holy Spirit shall be your portion. Barrenness is banished from your camp. Dryness is deleted from your destiny. Your life shall be fully nourished and well-watered!