Musician, Brandon Lake has a song that is called Graves into Gardens. In this song he describes a transformation that takes place in a life that is surrendered to Jesus:
You turn mourning to dancing
You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory
You’re the only one who can
You turn graves into gardens
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You’re the only one who can
Tomorrow is Resurrection Sunday and a question keeps stirring in my spirit, “Where are the places in my life that I am still living from the grave, instead of living in the garden of resurrection life?” In other words, where are the places in my life that still resonate with the old ways of thinking that are limited, restricted and draining me of life? Maybe it is the way I view myself. It could be all the mistakes that I’m still carrying around like dead man’s bones. Or perhaps it is my outlook on the future that carries dread of all the bad things that I expect to happen such as financial struggles, health concerns, or family divisions. Maybe it is my view of God and all of the religious works that I think God expects of me. These are grave clothes that need to be left in the tomb. Are we carrying the fragrance of the life of Christ to a lost and dying world or do we smell like someone who has been in the grave for a period of time? In John 11 we find the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Martha, the sister of Lazarus, who had been in the tomb for four days, meets Jesus when he arrives,
Martha said to Jesus, “My Lord, if only you had come sooner, my brother wouldn’t have died. But I know that if you were to ask God for anything, he would do it for you.” Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise and live.” She replied, “Yes, I know he will rise with everyone else on resurrection day.” “Martha,” Jesus said, “You don’t have to wait until then. I am the Resurrection, and I am Life Eternal. Anyone who clings to me in faith, even though he dies, will live forever. And the one who lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
(John 11: 21-26, TPT)
Now is a wonderful time to press into that glorious exchange of death for life. I want to encourage you to stand in the position of being in blood covenant with Jesus and receive the fullness of His life in: your body, your marriage, your finances, your identity, your …. There are no limits because his death in our place opens the way to resurrect any and ALL things. He makes ALL things new. Nothing in this world is stronger than God’s ability to resurrect and bring life. The question that Jesus presents to us is the same he asked Martha, “Do you believe this?” This is the currency of the Kingdom, Faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, For by grace you have been saved by faith. Nothing you did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the love gift from God that brought us to Christ! So no one will ever be able to boast, for salvation is never a reward for good works or human striving.
In fact, do you know what striving produces? Death… And I don’t know if you have noticed but there still seems to be a lot of striving that is happening! So that takes us back to the question that I have been pondering for a while, “Where are the places in my life that I am still living from the grave, instead of living in the garden of resurrection life?” What does garden life look like? Well there are rivers of life flowing in, through and around me. (John 7:38) The Spirit of life produces lots of fruit in my life. (Galatians 5:22-23) It is a life that brings rest and is evergreen. (Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 1:3) It is a place that renews me in my body, soul and spirit. One of my life passages is found in Isaiah 61 and it describes a beautiful exchange from death into life by the Spirit of God:
…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Let’s leave the grave and enjoy the beauty of a garden spilling over with abundant life, carrying that fragrance everywhere we go.
Steps in Pursuit
- Ask God to show you any places in your life that reflect living from the grave. Take note of what He reveals. What has been keeping you bound in grave clothes in those areas?
- Spend some time surrendering those areas to Him. You may need to surrender out loud in prayer. “Father, I surrender ___________________ to you, in exchange for the life you have for me.”
- As you begin to thank God for the garden of life He has given you, spend time in worship and praise. You might use Brandon Lake’s song to declare God’s goodness.
Death is not the door into eternal life, Jesus Christ is the Door. As He told Martha, “ I am the Resurrection and I am Life Eternal” in you and in me.
Continue the Pursuit,
Denise
