Garden of Shalom

12/14/22

After the Forgiveness Project, God began speaking to me about peace.  I sought to understand what peace really meant.  I knew I had peace ‘with’ God but I didn’t think I had the peace ‘of’ God.  Through lots of prayer, I heard the Lord speak: “Covenant of Peace”, He said.  Now mind you, I didn’t know I had an issue with peace until God brought it up.  While seeking to understand a Covenant of Peace, I found a book titled by the same name. 

I read the book and found it helpful, but I was still unsure how to enter into God’s peace.  In other words, I had no peace about how to know His peace!  And then, I got a vision as I sat at my computer.

The vision had me entering a garden gate where Jesus was waiting at the entrance.  He was glowing so all I could see was His brilliant white image, no features that I could pick out.  As I entered the gate, we hugged and I saw myself melt into Him and His glow.  I became almost one with Him as we embraced in His glorious eminence and illumination.

The garden had beautiful white dazzling light dancing on the flowers and greenery.  There was also a bench to rest.  The Garden of Shalom.  I received scripture: The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; but the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. Isaiah 60:19.

Of course, I cried.  Since I am not an artist to capture the vision I saw, I searched the internet instead.  I found a beautiful garden image and then found Jesus hugging a person.  I cropped them together to get the picture I could use to remember this experience.  It is the illustration for this post.

I looked deeper into the symbolism of the vision, similar to a dream.  First, Jesus is our gate and entrance into peace.  Enter through the narrow gate… Matthew 7:13. Isn’t that so true with peace, it is hard to enter into it at times…a narrow gate!  In addition, gardens were central to the life of our Savior. The Garden of Gethsemane (prayer in the garden); the Parable of the Mustard Seed planted in a garden to represent faith and the Kingdom of God; betrayal and arrest in a garden; and burial in the Garden Tomb. 

A garden is a very protected and cultivated place; a place one wants to stay.  God’s garden (in us) is a well-watered garden according to Isaiah 58:11: The LORD will guide you always…You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. 

Life began in the Garden (Eden, as did sin) and it all ended in the Garden (Tomb and resurrection).  As a matter of fact, Adam was the first gardener!  Then, Jesus was thought to be the gardener by Mary after His resurrection in John 20:15b “She, supposing Him to be the gardener!”

A garden is green and is also the color for healing.  He is our Healer.  There are flowers in a garden, He is the Rose of Sharon and Lilly of the Valleys.  I am the rose of Sharon, and the Lily of the Valleys. Song of Solomon 2:1.

I enter into the garden with the gospel of peace on my feet (part of the armor of God).  While Jesus was waiting for me to enter into the garden, He met me at the entrance (He waits for me to enter His peace daily).  I merged into the Lord as we hugged sharing in His glorious light; not a light of my own, but His Light!  Jesus is our light and in Him, we see light.  In Your light we see light. Psalm 36:9b.  And we are one in Him according to 1 John 4:13: By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

In the Garden of Shalom is a bench to rest, be still, abide and focus on God.  He is our peace; the Prince of Peace sacrificed to bring us into this peace.  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5. 

I like this definition of shalom: “The Hebrew meaning for shalom represents God’s order. Likewise, shalom describes a state of being in which God’s presence is in evidence…completeness, wholeness, well-being, welfare and peace. Shalom also includes the idea of vigor and vitality in all dimensions of life.”

Knowing all this about the vision of the garden, I can enter into it with thanksgiving in my heart and enter His court with praise wearing the gospel of peace on my feet.  That is how I can start to enter His peace; His Garden of Shalom.  But it is not just for me; it is for everyone who will choose to enter in!  Will you?

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. Psalm 100:4.