Hosanna Restoration Church

The beginning of getting answers comes with asking the questions. Even if answers are readily available, until we desire to know them they mean nothing to us. The point is that God’s truth has always existed, but until we seek it, we do not find it. Until it is important to us, we do not seek it and so we remain outside the Kingdom of God.

It was the words of an old song that prompted this line of thinking. I was out for a run when, “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden,” floated through my head. I think many of you will remember that song. This came as I was thinking about the fact that I can’t and don’t promise anyone anything other than what the Word of God says. He is the one who does in fact promise a rose garden. He promises peace. He promises health and deliverance. He promises joy. He promises abundant life. Along with all of His promises, He challenges us to put Him to the test!

So, is there a garden? Is there really a place of rest? Is there really more to life than we are experiencing? Yes. Yes. Yes! Whether we know the Lord or are still in a place of just knowing about God, there is still a lot that we are not experiencing. Not one of us has yet experienced all the fullness of God. Every person who has ever known God has gone to the grave knowing that there was more than they had experienced. Even Enoch who walked with God and then God took Him, had not begun to know all there was until He arrived at the throne room.

It is hunger for God that causes the Kingdom of God to flow to us and through us. The truth is that there is difference between being a part of the family of God and experiencing the Kingdom of God. Remember the brother of the prodigal son? He was jealous that the prodigal was getting blessed just for coming home, while he had been there all along and not received that kind of treatment. His Father told him that all of it had been there for him all along but he had not bothered to experience it.

Do we look for the garden? Do we expect the garden? Do we hold out for the garden even when it seems the drought will go on for ever and nothing could ever help? We should! We will. It may take us some time to develop the faith and confidence in God to make a joyful sound as we wait expectantly, but we will when we know what He has in store for us now in this life time and in the end.

If we, His children, are not confident of this; how will others ever see just how amazing God is? We are called to go into the entire world and preach (manifest; reveal) the Kingdom of God. Is it real? Is there a garden now? Yes, yes, oh yes!