Pride.  Let’s look at the connection between gardens and pride.  Sure, gardens should be the place where you walk with the Creator with renewed wonder and pleasure because you see His workmanship in every living thing.  But pride seeks to enter that garden of prayer and fellowship in particular, to create a fall that will separate us from God.  We talked about Lucifer’s fall a few weeks ago.  Let’s take a look at King Nebuchadnezzar.

King Nebuchadnezzar II is the Babylonian king who captured youths in Jerusalem and took over the nation of Judah.  Daniel was one of the youths and he grew into an intercessor for his people and a prophet and ruler for King Neb.

Judah wasn’t the only territory that interested King Neb.  According to Linda Hobar, author of Mystery of History, when King Neb was a prince, he conquered King Necho of Egypt in a battle in Syria and later defeated all of Syria and Palestine.  His victories made him rich and expanded his empire.  This king also had a great interest in architecture and landscaping.  He built the Mede Wall and beautifully designed the Ishtar Gate, one of eight gates that led into the city of Babylon.  But legend also says he built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon supposedly for his Median wife who missed the beautiful mountains of her homeland.

King Neb had a dream and Daniel let him know immediately that his pride was about to get him into trouble.  Daniel warned him to humble himself and believe in the God of Israel.  King Neb must have forgotten that warning, because one day he strolled his palace and said, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty? (Daniel 4:30).”  Perhaps you’ve heard the story.  His condition afterward was freakish and, if you can picture this, God struck the king so that he lived like an animal eating grass for seven years.

King Neb’s bio:

Insane

Hair grown out like eagles’ feathers

Nails like birds claws

Ate grass like an animal

The Great God Jehovah is merciful!  God forgave King Nebuchadnezzar at the end of the seven year period and the king said, afterward, “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice.  And those who walk in pride He is able to abase (Daniel 4:37).”

Again, there is glory to be found in a garden, but the glory belongs to God.  And once again, we have to watch this “gardening stuff”.  The walk with God is so sweet, but the temptation of pride increases.  Keep that cloak of humility wrapped around your shoulders. For the higher the glory, the harder the fall when you exalt yourself.  I struggle with the poison of pride and I am thrilled to tell you that when we run to the cross, we find that Jesus took that poisonous cup for us.  When I ask him to forgive me, he forgives and forgets.  He paid the price to reconnect us to the Garden of God.  Glory!