You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11 ESV

Before sin entered the world, the Garden of Eden was a place of intimate fellowship between God and Adam and Eve. It was a beautiful place with trees bearing all kinds of fruit and a river flowed from Eden and divided into four rivers. In the middle of the garden were two trees that God told them not to eat from. They could eat from all the other trees, but not from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and not from the tree of life. Then the serpent came along and deceived them and they both ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They disobeyed God. Later, when they heard Him walking in the garden, they hid. They were ashamed and afraid. God banished them from the garden so they would not eat from the tree of life and live forever in their sin (Gen. 2-3).

A day is coming when believers will eat from the tree of life and live forever, because they are the victorious ones (Rev. 2:7 NLT), the ones who have defeated this evil world through faith in Jesus as the Son of God (1 Jn. 5:4-5 NLT). Jesus took away our sins in His body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24) and they are removed as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12) and they are remembered no more (Heb. 8:12).

This is true of our prodigals as well. From God’s perspective, He doesn’t remember their sin. They are like the son who wandered into the far country and broke complete fellowship with his father (Lk. 15:13). At no time does this story convey that he ceased to be a son or that the son ever forgot who he was. When things got really rough, he came to his senses and returned home. He was repentant and felt unworthy, but he re-connected with his father and went back into his presence. And just like the father in this story rejoiced over his son that was lost but now was found, so does our Father in heaven rejoice when one of his prodigals returns.

They come “back to the garden” and to fellowship with God. The song at the end is a song that can be a prayer. Bring them back to the garden, take them back and walk with them. Let them long for Your presence for they were “born to be royal; they were made to be free”. They were torn from the garden when the enemy deceived them and intended to destroy them. But he won’t win…not if we continue to pray and seek the Lord.

As believers, we can “enter the garden” and fellowship with God anytime we want. He is always ready to meet with us. We were born to be royal; we were made to be free. Take a moment to picture yourself in a garden with Jesus. Can you see the beautiful trees with every kind of fruit? Can you see the water? Can you see the flowers and animals living together in peace? Can you see Jesus? Where is He? Are you walking together? Are you playing with Him in the water? What does He want to show you? What does He want you to know? Take a moment to listen and see what comes to mind. Ask Him what it means. Last month, at The Garden at Kimberly’s house, we did this. One of the things we were to ask Jesus was to show us the tiniest thing in our garden. He showed me a tiny blue flower. I asked Him what it meant. When I looked up, it started spreading everywhere and He told me it meant rapid growth. Then we were to ask Jesus to show us the water source. He took me to a stream. We put on our backpacks and started hiking through the water. The flower was still spreading along the bank as we walked through the stream. When we stopped for a drink of the water from the stream (it was pure), I knew He had been talking about me. That the more I drank from the water, the more I would be like the tiny blue flower spreading everywhere, and experience rapid growth. It would be up to me to spend time in His presence though. He was always waiting and longing to be with me.

God uses our imagination to communicate with us. When we invite Him in to our thoughts and imagination, we discover that He is there. When we think of the garden of Eden and how it was a place of perfect fellowship with God for Adam and Eve, it becomes a logical and meaningful place for us to picture ourselves with Him. And as we go to the garden to be with Jesus, we can ask God to bring our loved ones back to the garden because they were made for glory!

Back To The Garden by David Crowder

I was born to be royal I was made to be free But I was torn from the garden When that devil lied to me I was formed from the soil I got dirt inside of me But I was born to be royal I was made for glory Take me back to the garden Take me back and walk with me For Your presence I am longing Take me back God, take me back! Take me down to the river Down to Eden's crystal streams Where every sin can be forgiven Holy Ghost come set me free Take me back to the garden Take me back and walk with me For Your presence I am longing Take me back! God, take me back! Back to Your Kingdom come Take me back! Back to Your Kingdom, come! I was born to be royal I was made to be free