Welcome to The Bride’s Garden, a 7-week series for the Lenten Season, focusing our thoughts and meditations on God’s Words of garden matrimony. Especially, the Scriptures swooning with flowering, fruiting plants contained in Song of Songs. While God hints throughout the Bible of His Bridegroom-like devotion to His people, He goes all-out with lavish botanicals in King Solomon’s bridal songbook, describing scents and fruits and enthralling garden views, giving us things to have and to hold as we cultivate a deeper longing for Him.
You are my private garden, my treasure, my bride, a secluded spring, a hidden fountain. Song of Songs 4:12 NLT
O gardeners, our weeks ahead will be filled with henna blossoming, vines budding, lilies for browsing, pomegranates blooming, fragrance spreading everywhere and myrrh tear-dropping in sacrifice—a parade of garden delights, a banquet of God’s loving-presence. Though we practice denying our flesh in the 40 days before Jesus’ crucifixion, we will engage the feast of flowers and fragrance that accompany an intimate relationship with God in the Words of our Beloved.
The Bride’s Garden
If you landed here by Google search because you are a bride, and you are looking for garden ideas to plan your wedding, I hope you will stay! You will discover throughout this 7-part series not only the Bible’s plants and poetry for brides, but the true source of a happy marriage: Jesus. Grow closer to the One who loved you and your husband-to-be first—before you two even met each other, the One who will hold you together through it all; and be gripped by desire to never lose your first love.
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 NIV
God’s Son was before all else, and by him everything is held together. Colossians 1:17 CEV
He is before all things, and all things hold together in him. Colossians 1:17 EHV
But here is something I hold against you. You have turned away from the love you had at first. Revelation 2:4 NIRV
Bridegroom & Bride
The Bridegroom-Bride metaphor helps us relate to God and understand who He is, along with several similar comparisons: Shepherd-sheep, Father-child, Commander-warrior, and Gardener-garden. Such imagery invites us to grow closer to our loving, mysterious Lord, highlighting His character to help us get to know Him—though He is simultaneously inimitable—and build a relationship, little by little, with His mighty infiniteness.
Why are we digging into the Bridegroom-Bride dimension, dear gardeners, when we are so delighted already by our Father the Gardener in His Gardener-garden metaphor? Because the biggest reveal of the Bridegroom-Bride relationship comes to us, you guessed it, in a garden. The most detailed, plant-filled garden in all of Scripture, no less! This is not a surprise, really, but an extravagant embellishment and floriferous reiteration of the garden of Eden beginning, where God planted a garden and united man and wife among fruiting trees and well-watered grounds.
The Bride’s Garden offers tangible flowers, trees, fruits, and spices, all the while ushering us into the deeper intimacy with God. The Song of Songs descriptions nurture a sense of longing, leading us to cultivate a captivated heart, a desire to watch for God and be with Him at every moment. O Lord, let anticipation for You take us over as we wait for sweet-scented lilies to unfold and pomegranate blossoms to set fruit.
Make Ready
This week begins the Lent season of humble reflection and confession. As gardeners, we know that the first step in creating a beautiful garden involves contending with mess: clearing out, cutting back, cleaning up the area we want to plant…facing up to where our garden care failed…ridding dead or diseased plants, and transplanting others in order to focus our plan. Such appropriate work for this time of repentance! Finish up by supplying a load of manure or compost to the soil to enhance structure and nutrition—to bring healing, making ready for new growth to flourish.
As if guided by a gardener (which He was!) Jesus relayed similar advice to his disciples, teaching them through a story about ten bridesmaids to make themselves ready:
At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to wait for the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The five foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, but they did not take more oil for the lamps to burn. The wise bridesmaids took their lamps and more oil in jars. Because the bridegroom was late, they became sleepy and went to sleep. At midnight someone cried out, ‘The bridegroom is coming! Come and meet him!’ Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready. Matthew 25:1-7 NCV
click here to read the entire Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, also known as the Parable of the Ten Virgins
Before the fabulous feast of flowers and fruits, let’s make ready! Linger in these Words and let them prompt you before the Lord:
Hezekiah said to them, “Listen to me, Levites! Make yourselves ready for holy service. Make the Temple of the Lord God ready for holy service. He is the God your ancestors obeyed. Take away the things from the Temple that don’t belong in there. These things make the Temple unclean. 2 Chronicles 29:4-5 ERV
Have you forgotten that your body is now the sacred temple of the Spirit of Holiness, who lives in you? You don’t belong to yourself any longer, for the gift of the Holy Spirit lives inside your sanctuary. You were God’s expensive purchase, paid for with tears of blood, so by all means, then, use your body to bring glory to God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 TPT
Over in the corner, the tax collector begins to pray, but he won’t even lift his eyes to heaven. He pounds on his chest in sorrow and says, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Luke 18:13 VOICE
Isaiah: I am in so much trouble! I’m ruined! I’m just a human being—fallible and stammering. My lips are encrusted with filth; and I live among people just like me. But here I am, and I’ve seen with my very own eyes none other than the King, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies. Isaiah 6:5 VOICE
Moses entered into the midst of the cloud and climbed up the mountain. He remained on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. Exodus 24:18* NCB
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led in the Spirit in the wilderness during forty days, being tempted of the devil. And he did eat nothing in those days: and when they were completed, he hungered. Luke 4:1-3 ASV
[Christ, the Anointed One] erased it all—our sins, our stained soul—he deleted it all and they cannot be retrieved! Colossians 2:14 TPT
For among the first things I passed on to you was what I also received, namely this: the Messiah died for our sins, in accordance with what the Tanakh says; and he was buried; and he was raised on the third day, in accordance with what the Tanakh says 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 CJB
But I know the loving God will redeem my soul, raising me up from the dark power of death, taking me as his bridal partner. Psalm 49:15 TPT
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Ephesians 4:30-31 NIV
The Lord wants to use you for special purposes, so make yourself clean from all evil. Then you will be holy, and the Master can use you. You will be ready for any good work. 2 Timothy 2:21 ERV
Make them ready for your service [Sanctify them; Consecrate them; setting them apart for service] through your truth; your ·teaching [word] is truth. John 17:17 EXB
While [the foolish] were gone, the bridegroom came. The girls who were ready went in with the bridegroom to the wedding feast. Then the door was closed and locked…. So always be ready. You don’t know the day or the time when the Son of Man will come. Matthew 25:10, 13 ERV
Closing Prayer:
My marvelous Lord, thank you for the blessings you put in our lives – too many to even realize. I am grateful for my life with you, and the reality that my family, my health, my work, and my creative passions are all held together by you (Colossians 1:17). I am not worthy, but You respond in mercy and glorious love. Thank you for turning my troubles around and for purifying my life. It’s a constant work, like weeding my garden! So here I am again, seeking you for 40 days, following Your pattern, following You forever. You let Yourself develop a hunger (Luke 4:3), even as you saw the wedding feast all set. Holy Spirit, I want to be filled with you – a full supply to burn blazingly and be ready to meet the Bridegroom! Counsel me in what that means in earthy terms. Amen.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory. For the wedding day of the Lamb has come, and the bride has made herself ready. Revelation 19:7 NCB
Naturally, Song of Songs has been a joy to dig into for years in the Devotions Blog at Garden in Delight, with a wide range of enticing plants to spice up a Biblical Garden. Refer to these articles for additional ideas for your Bride’s Garden: Verdant (maidenhair fern, Songs 1:16); A Father’s Tree, The Lollipop® Crabapple Story (Songs 2:3); Strengthen Me with Raisins, Refresh Me with Apples (Songs 2:5); Under your Own Vine and Fig Tree (Songs 2:13); Cultivating Calamus (Songs 4:14); God’s Focus in Saffron Crocus (Songs 4:14); Eaglewood in God’s Word (aloes, Songs 4:14); Pistachio Cookies or A Lenten Look at Trees: Almond (nut trees, Songs 6:11); Blue Wheat (Songs 7:2); Fresh Kale & Date Salad (Songs 7:8). Additionally, Song of Songs includes 5 of the 7 Species, read more at The 7 Species: A Garden-to-Table Guide
Do you love connecting God’s Word to your gardening work and the trees and plants around you? You will love my new book, My Father is the Gardener, Devotions in Botany and Gardening of the Bible, order at this link.
Read more devotions on the Song of Songs gardens in God’s Word for Gardeners Bible in the Garden Tour section on En Gedi, beginning on page a-16
*From Parashah Mishpatim (Rulings) Exodus 21:1 – 24:18, appointed this week. Parashah are weekly portions of Torah read throughout the year by Jewish people.
Find each year’s Lent series from the Devotions Blog on a new webpage called Series of 7 Studies. They are 7-part, successive devotions focused on garden topics in God’s Word to dig into at any time
Photo Credits: ©Elise V Pearlstine|Dreamstime.com for henna blossoms photo in The Bride’s Garden meme; all other photos ©Shelley S. Cramm
ASV marks Scriptures taken from the American Standard Version of The Holy Bible, an American revision of the King James Version published in 1901 by Thomas Nelson & Sons, which is public domain in the United States.
CEV notes Scripture quotations taken from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
CJB notes Scripture quotations taken from the Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern. Copyright © 1998. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, 6120 Day Long Lane, Clarksville, MD 21029. www.messianicjewish.net.
EHV notes Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version® , EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
ERV denotes Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE: EASY-TO-READ VERSION © 2014 by Bible League International. Used by permission.
EXB denotes Scripture quotations taken from The Expanded Bible. Copyright ©2011 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
NCB denotes Scripture taken from the SAINT JOSEPH NEW CATHOLIC BIBLE® Copyright © 2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
NCV denotes Scripture quotations taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
NIRV denotes Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®, Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIrV” and “New International Reader’s Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®
NIV denotes Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®
NLT notes Scripture quotations from Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
TPT denotes Scripture quotations taken from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com
VOICE denotes Scripture quotations taken from The Voice™. Copyright © 2012 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
