RETURN TO EDEN
“Return to Eden is a return to simple relationship with God the Father through faith in Christ Jesus”This Blog of letters and pictures is about my own personal experience in seeking God’s Restorative power to cultivate right attitudes of the heart and mind.
Return to Eden is a return to relationship with God the Father – at the heart level. It is to walk with Him and talk with Him – just like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
It is to know Him and fellowship with Him in the cool of the
Garden. It is about deep and profound prayer.
Through Jesus we are now able to come right into God the Father’s presence, just as it was in the Garden of Eden – to see Him as He is and to rest in His love.
Christianity is not a Religion of ‘works’ to try appease a harsh and distant God. No! It is about becoming as a child and running into the the arms of the Father; just like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
God is incredibly forgiving and accepting and is not expecting perfection nor piety – simply a realistic and open Father, Son, Daughter relationship.
But how do we get so close to Him and not fear being ‘fried’ in His presence?
The first thing we must do is not be put off by an old image of a harsh and judging God. He relates to us differently now because of the sacrificial offering of His Son, Jesus – who alone died for the forgiveness of sins.
Yes, God is Holy, Righteous and all-powerful but His anger against sin is now paid for at the Cross of Calvary.
We now come to Him by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.
One way of entering into His presence is through Journaling. It is a process of quieting our minds; focussing on Jesus; thanking Him; praising Him and waiting on Him. A picture or thought might come to mind; then write it down. You may simply write a question and wait, with expectation, to hear His reply. Meanwhile, have your pen ready to write what you feel He is saying and to comment if anything comes to mind. If a scriptural verse comes to mind, then write it down.
Ask another question and return to the flow of His presence. Within minutes you may well have a conversation going; or at least a very clear connection with the Father.
Write about what you are concerned about or joyful about, or excited about. He is a loving Father who wants only to reveal His heart to His children. Don’t let the enemy of your soul rob you of this precious moment with the Father. And if He says anything specific about a difficult situation in your life, do pray about it and share it with wise Counsellors for their mature wisdom.
What follows is a short Journaling time I had with the Lord.
“There is a broken bough in a wooded area that makes a perfect resting place. I sit there some mornings gathering my energy for the walk back up the hill towards home. It is my imaginary ‘Garden of Eden’ – a beautiful plateau on the south side of Bath where I live.
One morning I sat there with an old penknife I’d found from my childhood. Strewn all around were dried branches and twigs, and feeling the Lords prompting, I selected a twig so that I might fashion it into an arrow.
The phrase ‘Whittling Stick’ came to mind as I sliced away dried flakes of bark from the twig:
“Whittle away the old dry wood. Make it straight and narrow with a good sharp point”, spoke the Lord to my heart, as though reciting the words of a song.
I repeated the words as I cut away all the bark and smoothed the twig to a long sharp point. Rolling it between my fingers for balance, I then looked down the stem towards an imaginary target in the distance. Yes, it truly was a fine stick, and could well be used as an arrow.
Pleased with my efforts, I asked the Lord what he thought about my stick. His reply came softly to my heart.
“Now you can see what I’m doing with my people”, he began, “I’m fashioning them in My love so that they might serve Me more effectively… I’m removing the dead wood outer layers of self-reliance and I’m straightening the kinks and bumps of sin. I’m smoothing the rough edges of personality problems, and finally, I’m bringing them to a good sharp point so that when I do aim them at My target, they won’t miss! And yes, like you, I am also well pleased with My efforts”.
Scripture Reading:
“He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into water springs. And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase. He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease” Psalm 107: 35 – 38
For more about Christian Journaling, click link below