“The LORD will guide you always;
He will satisfy your needs
in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.”
Isaiah 58:11 NIV
One of the attributes of God that I love the most is his faithfulness! I
love this scripture so much because there have been many times when I have not
been faithful to God, yet he has always been faithful to me. There have been
times when I walked away from God or when I knowingly have been disobedient, still
my God continued to stand nearby waiting for my return. He is a God that will not let any of us go and he will be with us
here on this earth until we take our last breath. When we feel that he is
absent or has left us it is only because we have allowed ourselves to wander
away or because our focus has become self-centered. Sometimes the events of
life leave us so devastated that we indeed wonder where God is. But let me assure you, HE is there!
I love today’s scripture because it is a constant reminder that no
matter what my circumstances may be the LORD is always available to guide me
and satisfy my needs. He also does the same for you. In a world that is
full of pain, suffering, death, and disappointments, God is still here with us.
In a world where many do not consider God to be anything but “out there” and
others do not believe in God at all, we often find ourselves, as believers, suffering
the consequences of their unbelief. Our world has indeed become a sun-scorched
land. Still our God promises to strengthen our frame and provide water to our
spirit. This “Living Water” comes from a spring that will NEVER fail or run dry!
We must always believe that God is good and that when we are his
precious child he will never let us go. God loves to lavish his love on us
at all times and in many different ways. He is still a God of miracles and we
must always look for where he is already at work on our behalf. Remember, God
loves you with an everlasting love!
For the past four years I have posted weekly to “The Garden of My Heart
Today I want to tell you how much I value each one of you faithful
readers. I have been blessed by your comments and encouragement. It has been
my privilege to pray for you and hopefully challenge and encourage each of you.
Some of you are my family and friends, others of you have come to the garden by
way of a friend. There are also numerous international readers, who live in far
away countries that I have never visited. Oh how you have blessed my heart! It
has been my joy to know that you enjoy faithfully coming to the garden to meet
with Jesus. Others of you have just happened upon the garden and regularly walk
through the gate to read, pray, and meditate. No matter how you have come to
the garden, you have filled my heart to overflowing by returning so many times.
Not because of me, but because it has been a place where you have indeed met
with Jesus. I am especially thrilled if it was a place where you met Jesus for
the first time. I also want to thank my prayer partners who have faithfully
prayed for this writing project. I would not have made it without you
“The Garden of My Heart Garden of My Heart
I want to challenge all of you to continue to grow in your faith. There
is so much to learn as you walk deeper into the garden with Jesus. The
Master Gardener, Jesus Christ, will always be there waiting for you. I want to
encourage you to remain faithful to the One who is always faithful to you. Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is a friend that sticks
closer than any brother, sister, husband, wife, child, parent, or friend. He is
trustworthy beyond more than you can ever imagine.
So today, it is with deep regret that I leave all of you. I am
currently seeking to follow God’s guidance regarding the future. Until we meet
again in the garden or inside the gates of heaven, I remain in his love and
service.
Paula Hoover
“The Garden of My Heart”
