Scripture Reading: - "When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars which Thou hast fixed; O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Thy name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:3 and 9
Funny Story, when I was asked if I’d like to share some thoughts, a catchy title came to mind. I soon realized that I’d unintentionally plagiarized it from a lesson series. Somewhat discouraged it occurred to me that I was then working with a blank canvas…
But the truth is God has given us all the brushes, paints and scenery we could ever need. He always does that, doesn't He? The foundation is Jesus. Luke 6:46-49 and Matthew 7:24-27 explain the difference between just hearing His Words and hearing and acting upon them. When we hear and obey we've built our "house" with a deep foundation which rests on the rock. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said He would build His church on the rock, which is the fact that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God." (v16)
So we know we have the foundation for everything - Jesus our Savior. And in knowing Him we learn to experience joy from using the gifts He's given us to serve Him by serving others. The canvas is getting full and colorful now, right?
I had a "blank canvas" experience about four months ago when we were all caught off guard and found ourselves in quarantine. My full calendar was suddenly empty and I became discouraged... loneliness, lack of purpose, fear of the unknown... feelings not unique to me, yet very real and personal. But fast forward and I find that while I still don't understand the "what," "when," "why," "where" and "how" of it all, I'm trusting more fully each day the "Who." I'm so grateful to know "Who" wasn't caught off guard; "Who" can make dinner for thousands from a few loaves of bread and a couple fish; "Who" has been in control since before the beginning of time; and "Who" loved us so much that He sent His Son to die in our place, then raised Him from the dead just as He had promised.
I love what Cara Whitney (Larry the Cable Guy's wife) says, "Comprehending God's plan can wait, obeying God's will cannot." Now she didn't write that little nugget during a global pandemic, but that's when I read it and that was no accident.
So the One who placed the moon and the stars in the sky and created beautiful landscape scenes that we enjoy everyday ensures that we're never working from a blank canvas. We have everything we need to be the artists He created us to be.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to remember Your promise that Your grace is sufficient. Help us to fully trust You with every facet of our lives and to understand more everyday just how much You love each and every one of us. In Jesus' Name. Amen