Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death. Rejoice then, you heavens and those who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you with great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
So when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to her place where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. Then from his mouth the serpent poured water like a river after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman; it opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
REVELATION 12:1-16 (NRSV)
THE TABLE IS SET
Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.
EXODUS 23:20–21 (ESV)
THE LORD’S PRAYER:
Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.
MATTHEW 6:9-13 (NRSV)
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
PSALM 23:5 (ESV)
You have heard that it was said “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
MATTHEW 5:43-45 (ESV)
Special Mention: Photo of Bible found in rubble of World Trade Center was taken by photographer Ira Block. http://www.irablock.com/Editorial/September-11/6
RAINBOWS AND ROSES
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
JOHN 14:1–3 (NLT)
And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
1 JOHN 2:25 (ESV)
God said to Noah, This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.
GENESIS 9:17 (ESV)
DEATH AND LIFE
And the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
ECCLESIASTES 12:7 (NLT)
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
LUKE 23:43 (NIV)
Truly, truly I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. . . . So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
JOHN 16:20, 22 (ESV)
WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE
Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation!
ISAIAH 65:17–18 (NLT)
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 (NIV)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day. Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. God called the space “sky.”
GENESIS 1:1-8 (NLT)
Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.
REVELATION 8:3-4 (NIV)
Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
MATTHEW 4:12-17 (ESV)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”
REVELATION 21:1-3 (ESV)
THE LANGUAGE OF GOD
Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
ACTS 2:2–4 (NLT)
For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.
1 CORINTHIANS 14:2 (ESV)
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
ROMANS 8:26–27 (NRSV)
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
JOHN 14:12 (ESV)
GARDEN PARTY
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden that its fragrance may be wafted abroad. Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits.
SONG OF SOLOMON 4:16 (NRSV)
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
MATTHEW 21:22 (ESV)
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.
ISAIAH 61:11 (ESV)
GARDEN REFERENCES:
Garden of Eden, Genesis 2-4
Garden of Gethsemane, Matthew 26, Mark 14:32-52, Luke 22:39-46, John 18:1-11
Garden Tomb, John 19-20
Garden of the new Jerusalem, Revelation 22
:3-5
Hymn: “In the Garden,” C. Austin Miles, 1912, Hall-Mack Co.
EPILOGUE
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak . . . You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
LUKE 12:38, 40 (NIV)
About the Author
© SANJAY N. PATEL
Thank you, dear reader, for visiting my garden. It is my prayer that, by engaging your heart, mind, and senses, you will have discovered that you are God’s greatest delight. You can share your own story at our Come to the Garden website, www.cometothegardenbook.com, and even download group study materials for your book clubs and Bible study groups. And I’ve placed downloadable images of my watercolors painted especially for the book on our site. As I have invited you to share your stories, allow me to share a bit more about myself.
Raised in northeast Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie, I began cultivating my deepest passions at an early age, beginning with a close and loving family. Saturday morning lessons at the Cleveland Museum of Art fostered my great appreciation for fine art. An invitation as a young teenager to attend the Metropolitan Opera’s performance of Madame Butterfly as the guest of the opera’s cellist inspired my love for music and theater. And our family’s country home in southern Indiana nurtured the deep sense of peace I find in spending quiet time with God’s creation.
And baseball! I grew up in Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians organization, where my father served as physician and medical director. Attendance through the years at countless games and several World Series and Baseball Hall of Fame ceremonies carved a special place in my heart for America’s favorite pastime.
I earned a bachelor of science degree in speech pathology and audiology from Kent State University and became a lifelong member of the Delta Gamma fraternity. In 1997, I relocated to Houston with my husband, Guy, and this is when I spent four inspiring years serving as a lay minister for the Spiritual Care Department at the Methodist Hospital.
Passionate about the study of God’s Word, I am a seasoned Bible study and small group leader and an active member of The Woodlands United Methodist Church, where I also sing in the chancel choir.
On occasional weekends throughout the year, I can be found at area racetracks “pit-crewing” for my husband’s auto racing weekends. My other interests include watercolor painting, cooking, gardening, reading, and spending time with our dogs.
Of all my passions, my greatest joy comes from the quiet devotional time I spend each morning. Spending time in prayer and praise “establishes the foundation for my day. I take my Lord’s hand and we approach each new day, each new adventure, together.”
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 by Jennifer Wilder Morgan
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First Howard Books trade paperback edition February 2016
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Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Interior design by Jaime Putorti
Cover design by Bruce Gore
Cover Images by Shutterstock and Getty Images
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Name: Morgan, Jennifer Wilder.
Title: Come to the garden : a novel / Jennifer Wilder Morgan.
Description: First Howard Books trade paperback edition. | Nashville, TN :
Howard Books, 2016.
Identifier: LCCN 2015031354
Subjects: LCSH: Angels—Fiction. | Christian fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Christian / General. | FICTION / Religious. | FICTION / Christian / Classic & Allegory.
Classification: LCC PS3613.O74466 C66 2016 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015031354
ISBN 978-1-5011-3133-2
ISBN 978-1-5011-3140-0 (ebook)
Come to the Garden Page 18