Companions Are Listening For Your Voice...

Earlier this week, I had just spent a lovely morning and afternoon with my daughter-in-law.

Upon arriving home I saw that my friend Linda had left a message reflecting her desire to get together with me for an impromptu Bible Study... to occur sometime before Friday!

The way my week was beginning to shape up, 

I knew that if this was going to happen before Friday,

Linda was going to have to get together with me within the next 20 minutes!

She was game, I quickly ate a pear,

and headed out the door, Bible tucked into my Book Bag.

Our time together was spent in Linda's Playhouse,

which is snuggled beautifully into a corner of her garden.

Once I had found my comfy spot, 

Linda took this picture with my i-Phone.

I forgot to return the sentiment.

So... here is a picture fresh off Linda's Blog,

of where Linda sat across from me,

as we spent time within the garden,

enjoying fellowship with one with another,

and with God and His Word.

O you who sit in the gardens,

My companions are listening for your voice -

Let me hear it!

                                                Song of Songs 8:13

This was the verse that Linda presented me with and I loved it!

I began to ponder out loud the implications for us as God's children.

Here is just one of my ponderings...

The very first garden, the garden of Eden, was the perfect garden -

this is where God chose to place the first man and woman, Adam and Eve.

 This was the garden in which they enjoyed the unbroken presence and fellowship of God.

After the fall of man, Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden,

and we have been trying to get back ever since.

All mankind now live in a fallen garden... far from the perfect garden of Eden.

The above verse, from the Song of Songs, is spoken by the bridegroom.

We know from His Word that our heavenly Bridegroom is Christ,

and that the church is His bride.

It is spoken to His bride, to His church,

letting her know that His companions are listening for her voice.

Individually, Linda is a companion of God, just as I am.

On this particular day she had invited me into her garden,

and was listening for my voice,

just as I was listening for hers.

But here's the thing... 

the companions of God may be listening for each other's voices,

just like Linda and I -

but our heavenly Bridegroom is also eagerly awaiting to hear our voices as well!

Not only that, but because He has placed His Holy Spirit within us,

and given us His Word,

our voices are to reflect His voice to us...

and I believe with all my heart that this was truly what transpired that day!

We leisurely took our time as we looked into God's Word,

the hands of the clock sweeping the hours by.

I left rejoicing in the knowledge that those who are truly the companions of God,

are always listening for the voices of His other companions,

and that God is telling us 'lift up your voices and' "Let Me hear it!"

There is so much to learn from this verse,

I love the next verse which rewards the request of the Bridegroom,

when the bride says, "Hurry, my beloved..."

While we live in this garden below,

longing for our heavenly garden to be revealed,

let's fill our particular corner of this garden with Life giving voices that nourish,

voices that encourage, voices that refresh the companions of God...

knowing that all the while it delights our God to hear it!

And beckons Him, our Beloved, to hurry...