“My beloved responded and said to me, ‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come away.’”
—Song of Songs 2:10 (AMP)
You were not made for the wilderness of striving or the bitterness of regret.
You were not formed to dwell among thorns, away from the voice that once called you by name.
You were made for the garden—a place of intimacy, communion, and holy delight.
And the Lord is calling you once more: Return to the garden.
He has not moved. He has not forgotten.
Your Beloved still walks in the cool of the day, waiting for you to meet Him among the lilies.
But your heart, weighed down by shame or dulled by distraction, lingers outside the gate.
Still, His voice breaks through: “Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” (Isaiah 44:22, AMP)
The garden is not a place; it is a Person.
It is where your heart is fully alive in the presence of El Shaddai, the Almighty God.
It is where He speaks, and your soul awakens.
Where His Word is not just read but received like kisses on the lips of your spirit.
It is where your tears are caught and your laughter is holy.
Have you forgotten what it feels like to be near Him?
To walk without fear? To sing without shame?
To let Him call you “Mine”—not because you are worthy, but because He is merciful?
The Gardener Still Waits
“I went down to the orchard of nut trees to see the blossoms of the valley, to see whether the vine had budded or the pomegranates had bloomed.”
—Song of Songs 6:11 (NASB)
He is the Gardener of your soul.
And though the soil may feel dry and the branches bare, He still walks among the rows of your life looking for fruit.
He prunes, not to punish, but to prepare.
He digs, not to destroy, but to plant something beautiful again.
You have wandered in deserts long enough.
You have fed on crumbs and called them enough.
But now, return to the garden.
Return to the place of His delight in you.
Return to the One whose love is stronger than death, whose jealousy is unyielding as Sheol. (Song of Songs 8:6)
He Has Never Stopped Loving You
You may feel like you’ve gone too far.
But listen: you cannot outpace the love of Yeshua.
His love has followed you through every shadow, through every night you cried yourself to sleep.
He remembers the days you sang to Him when no one else saw.
He remembers the vows you made in your youth.
He does not forget.
He says to you, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3, NASB)
This is your invitation.
To lay aside the shame and the striving.
To stop pretending and start abiding.
To leave the camp and come to the garden.
Where He waits with eyes full of fire and arms open wide.
Return, Beloved
The winds are shifting. The fig tree is blooming.
He stands behind your wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. (Song of Songs 2:9)
He is not a memory. He is not a myth.
He is alive, and He is calling you to come away with Him.
Return to the garden.
Return to love that never lets go.
Return to the only One who has ever truly known you, and yet still calls you beautiful.
Come back not just for comfort, but for communion.
Not for safety, but for surrender.
He is not angry—He is eager.
He is not condemning—He is crying out.
The thorns that pierced His brow have opened the gate again.
Now is the time. This is the hour.
Return to the garden.
Prayer
O my Beloved,
I have wandered far, yet You have never turned Your face from me.
You have stood in the garden of my soul, whispering my name while I ran from Your gaze.
But today, I return. Not to earn, not to strive—but to rest in Your love.
Let me hear Your voice again. Let me feel the nearness of Your Spirit.
Remove every vine of fear and shame.
Plant again the seeds of joy and wonder in me.
I am Yours, fully and forever.
Lead me back to the garden.
Amen.
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