The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. Proverbs 27:7 KJV

In our backyard grows an old Myers Lemon tree that my father planted. Though our tree is no more than six feet tall, it yields a harvest of lemons so abundant that we have to share them with our neighbors and friends! In today’s verse, we read about a contrast between sweet and bitter things in life and though lemons are not known for their sweetness, it is amazing how our little tree has taught us so many lessons about it. That lesson begins in February, just after the last lemon is picked and I begin pruning the tree. First, I have to be sure to put on a thick long-sleeved shirt and heavy leather gloves, to protect me from the long thorns of our little tree. I cut out any dead branches, cut off the low hanging branches and trim back the tops and sides to keep it compact. When I am finished our tree looks forlorn and bare, but just a week or two later, you would understand why. Stepping out into our backyard (or anywhere near our house) a powerful and beautiful aroma as the lemon tree fills with blossoms. What the fruit itself lacks in sweetness; God pours out in its flowers. Then God adds some really long thorns so that we must be very careful when we pick its fruit.

If your life feels like it is filled with the thorns from bitter experiences, remember our lemon tree. God is not through with you. Just like our little tree, It might be pruning time, but the sweetest blossom may be right around the corner. And just like our lemon, God often chooses to guard His sweetest fruit with the longest thorns. He knows about every sharp and bitter thorn, but He wants us to see that those thorns are simply reminders of what is still to come. So, let’s accept with patience our bitter times, knowing that a harvest lies ahead that is filled with the sweetness of all God has in store!

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? John 14:1-2 NIV

When our boys were in high school woodshop, they both chose to make wooden plaques with their names engraved on them. These they brought home and placed directly over their bedroom doors, as if to say, “This is my place in the world. Entry by permission only!” I often think of those signs when I read this verse, except that in Heaven, it is Jesus writing my name over the door to my room. Now, I can’t prove that this is true, but it does give me a clearer picture of what Jesus meant when He left us the promise in today’s verse. It is a place in Heaven reserved exclusively for us, paid for by the precious blood of our Savior. When we sang these two songs about that place, the residents all heartily joined in on the chorus. They sing knowing that their first step across the line into heaven is not far off and the value of that mansion over the hilltop is greater than ever in their hearts. Have you met the Savior, repented of your selfish lifestyle and asked Him to write your name over the doorway of your Heavenly home? He gave up His own Heavenly home for a cross, so that we He write our names over the doorway to our forever home. There is no better time than now to close that transaction!

“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.” John 15:1 NIV

Having worked as a professional gardener and tree surgeon for most of my career, this verse reminds me that the first place that God created for Adam and Eve to live was a garden. The Bible even tells us that God planted it for them! I think of that garden sometimes when I sing the hymn, “In the Garden” as it was where God came down in the cool of the day to walk and talk with His children. However: there are two other even more important gardens in scripture. The second garden we find God in is the Garden of Gethsemane. There Jesus prayed, “If it be possible let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not my will but Yours be done.” There the awful price of our salvation was weighed in the balance and Jesus promised to pay it in full. Yet, there is still a third garden we read of that holds the highest meaning of all. That is the garden, where the tomb of Christ was located. There Mary came to weep, and there Jesus met her, and the walking and talking with Him that day was truly sweeter than any song the birds could sing. I do hope you will be blessed by this rendition of my favorite hymn, “In the Garden,” sung yesterday at our meeting at Discovery Villages. Have a blessed day and I hope that you will take some time to walk and talk with Jesus in all three of these gardens this week.