"I think that if ever a mortal heard the voice of God it would be in a garden at
the cool of the day". (F. Frankfort Moore)

''...receive...the engrafted word...' James 1:21
Have you ever turned on the television and caught a few minutes of one of those gardening programs? Yes, people can get very excited about gardening. If you're going to understand some of the things in the Bible you'll need to know a little bit about gardening; God planted a garden, Eden. The home He chose for Adam and Eve is a pretty big clue that God thinks gardens are important.(Genesis 2:8).

James 1:21 is a gardening image. In some translations of the Bible the word 'planted' is used but the original word is actually 'grafted' or 'engrafted' which is when a gardener carefully slices a branch off one tree and then transplants it into a hole he's made in a branch of another tree. From then on the branch that's been relocated starts receiving ALL its water AND life from the new tree. The purpose of grafting is most often to unite a root stock with grafted parts that together produce some desired result.

 Now let's get creative, picture yourself reading your Bible, and as you do, those words from God are becoming attached to you, they start growing in you and producing fruit in YOUR life. That's how God's Word works, and that's why you need to read it every day. As God's Word actually becomes part of who you are, you will find that it frees you from fear, lifts you when you're low, directs you the way to go, and gives you the strength to fight and become free as you grow in His word (John 8:32). So, how do you feel about gardening now?

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
(Dorothy Frances Gurney)