As often it does, the Word began as a picture. I saw the book The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Moving into the book, I saw the vine-covered wall and remembered the discovery of the door hidden under the thick ivy. I also remembered that a buried key was discovered that opened this hidden door, revealing the garden that had been kept secret and hidden for many years. It was in this garden that the two children gave to one another of themselves and each helped the other to find new hope.
Foremost in this vision was the hidden door, covered with brilliant healthy green vines of ivy. The door was so well hidden that the wall around the garden appeared solid, covered with the live green ivy, and seemingly impossible to go through.
Then there was the Key, discovered in a different time and place. The key was lovely with engraving and scroll work. When this key was found, it was thought to be a great treasure. It was turned over and over, admired for its amazing beauty and workmanship. But it was said of this Key: What good is it?
I saw that we had come so close to the hidden door so many times, never suspecting that the green beauty of the ivy hid the door to something more. We thought the life growing over the wall was all we needed. We drew close, even caressing the vines growing so thick and lush. We never thought to attempt to find a way through. We thought we had found everything we needed here close to the green fragrant vines.
Somehow I knew all these things just from the vision. I did not hear words, but the language of the Spirit spoke all this to me. But now, He spoke to me this:
One will discover the door; another will find the key. It is when these two find each other and connect that the true treasure will be revealed.
What is the door? What does it represent? It is the door of sacrifice. It is hidden and we don't even look for it because we believe we have already found the life and so we settle for the outside of the garden. Even if we discover the door, we don't look for the key. Everything seems fine as it is.
The Key is the authority of the Kingdom. It is submission to the authority of the God who rules in Jacob. It is the One on David's throne who rules the Kingdom forever.
The Door of Sacrifice is opened with the Key of Submission to the King. You cannot sacrifice with love without Submission to the King. Jesus said, in the garden of Gethsemane: Not my will but Yours be done. He was submitting to the Father, which is the Key by which He was able to walk through the hidden door of Sacrifice.
The Door to the Garden is opened only with this Key and it is secreted within the abundant life of God. Even when the door is standing wide open, many will choose another way. But this Door, which is Jesus the Sacrifice, is the only way to the Garden of Hope, Peace, Rest and intimate companionship with our Lord.
I remembered the first garden, Eden. This is the place where God planned to walk with man, in the cool of the day, when man had finished caring for the garden for the day. It was when man had stopped working and was ready for rest that God came and walked with the man. It was a garden of peace, rest and companionship with God.
The Garden is the Kingdom of God. It is where He rules in Jacob with the authority of the Throne of David where Jesus sits forever. And in this Kingdom, where we arrive through the door of sacrifice, which is opened by the key of His authority, we live by the Royal Law. We live by the Law of Love..the Law of Sacrifice. Without Sacrifice there is no rest and no peace. Sacrifice is the end of War. Sacrifice for another equals love. Be willing to walk through that door today. It is a narrow gate and most will look for another way. Be the one who finds it, opens it with the perfectly fitting Key of David, and walks through.
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