Photo provided by Jana Long
Taken by Mike Mezuel II
With you being the canvas and Christ
being the great artist, are you willing to
allow him to paint on the canvas the
strokes he knows it takes to produce
a masterpiece?
It is so difficult for me not to grab
the brush out of his hand and say,
"What do you think you are doing?
You are ruining my canvas! "You
should be adding vibrant colors here,
instead of the deep dark shading,
or you should have used my canvas
to paint a beautiful mountain top
with snowcaps!"
If you would have painted it with beautiful
mountain peaks, everyone who
viewed my life would look and be awe
struck at the beauty and majesty of the
perfection you painted. A painting
that everyone would want to copy and
have their lives look like.
I wanted to be the one who did it all right
so that others would be drawn into the
presence of the Holy Spirit to live
and serve the Lord with abundant
happiness, joy and total contentment."
"Oh but no! You decided to create on this
canvas of mine, dark trenches and valleys.
You decided to make the walk dangerous
and treacherous. You made it appear that
serving you will be a rough rugged journey."
Gently the Lord says, "You are the one that
allowed me to hold the brush of your life." Can
you not trust me until the last stroke and
see what the masterpiece will look like?" Can
you just allow me to finish my work in and
through you and then you can decide if
the canvas is destroyed or if it will become
a wonderful masterpiece that will not only
draw the strong but it could also be
a masterpiece that when the broken and
wounded, heavy hearted and rejected see it
that they might want to join you at the stream
that flows so abundantly through the
center of the canvas.
Can you continue to claim that life
scripture and allow me to focus
on what I feel will be a great masterpiece at
which time I will unveil it, and let you decide?
I must say, trusting God that he knows best
isn't always easy but I have seen a few
masterpieces that he has painted and
he has proven to be the greatest artist of
all times and I pray I will wake up daily and
say, "Lord, into your hands I place this brush
and into your heart I place my trust. Make me,
shape me, and design me how you see will
best draw others to you and help me to wait!"
Only two years before I experienced my
great storm I claimed this as my life verse.
I had already lived much of this verse when
my mother took her own life and only those
closest to our family has known what a
an experience that has been for my
myself, my brothers and sisters
and for my father to go
through the trials and struggles
and the dark storms that brought forth.
Yet the storms didn't stop coming they
only subsided for a period of time. I must
say if I had not claimed this as my life verse,
I wouldn't be here today.
So I wait to see what the Lord's final
unveiling for my life will be!
Will he leave the dark trenches at the foot
of the mountains or will he fill them
with flowers growing abundantly at the
crevice of the majestic peaks?
Will he leave the dark clouds or will
he move them into the distance and
add a rainbow shining through
them radiating his glory?
Will he fill the canvas with teardrops or
will he fill the canvas with people drawn
to Christ because of the teardrops?
Will he show me ever walking by
his side or will he show me
limping and wounded and turning
away from his face?
What will the final canvas reveal?
Only the artist knows!
PSALMS 27
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
the LORD is the strength of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked,
even mine enemies and my foes,
came upon me to eat up my flesh,
they stumbled and fell. Though an host
should encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear:
though war should rise against me,
in this will I be confident.
One thing have I desired of the LORD,
that will I seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD,
and to enquire in his temple.
For in the time of trouble
he shall hide me in his pavilion:
in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me;
he shall set me up upon a rock.
And now shall mine head be lifted
up above mine enemies round about me:
therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy;
I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice:
have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face;
my heart said unto thee,
Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
Hide not thy face far from me;
put not thy servant away in anger:
thou hast been my help;
leave me not, neither forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me,
then the LORD will take me up.
Teach me thy way,
O LORD, and lead me in a plain path,
because of mine enemies.
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies:
for false witnesses are risen up against me,
and such as breathe out cruelty.
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see
the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage,
and he shall strengthen thine heart:
wait, I say, on the LORD.
being the great artist, are you willing to
allow him to paint on the canvas the
strokes he knows it takes to produce
a masterpiece?
It is so difficult for me not to grab
the brush out of his hand and say,
"What do you think you are doing?
You are ruining my canvas! "You
should be adding vibrant colors here,
instead of the deep dark shading,
or you should have used my canvas
to paint a beautiful mountain top
with snowcaps!"
If you would have painted it with beautiful
mountain peaks, everyone who
viewed my life would look and be awe
struck at the beauty and majesty of the
perfection you painted. A painting
that everyone would want to copy and
have their lives look like.
I wanted to be the one who did it all right
so that others would be drawn into the
presence of the Holy Spirit to live
and serve the Lord with abundant
happiness, joy and total contentment."
"Oh but no! You decided to create on this
canvas of mine, dark trenches and valleys.
You decided to make the walk dangerous
and treacherous. You made it appear that
serving you will be a rough rugged journey."
Gently the Lord says, "You are the one that
allowed me to hold the brush of your life." Can
you not trust me until the last stroke and
see what the masterpiece will look like?" Can
you just allow me to finish my work in and
through you and then you can decide if
the canvas is destroyed or if it will become
a wonderful masterpiece that will not only
draw the strong but it could also be
a masterpiece that when the broken and
wounded, heavy hearted and rejected see it
that they might want to join you at the stream
that flows so abundantly through the
center of the canvas.
Can you continue to claim that life
scripture and allow me to focus
on what I feel will be a great masterpiece at
which time I will unveil it, and let you decide?
I must say, trusting God that he knows best
isn't always easy but I have seen a few
masterpieces that he has painted and
he has proven to be the greatest artist of
all times and I pray I will wake up daily and
say, "Lord, into your hands I place this brush
and into your heart I place my trust. Make me,
shape me, and design me how you see will
best draw others to you and help me to wait!"
Only two years before I experienced my
great storm I claimed this as my life verse.
I had already lived much of this verse when
my mother took her own life and only those
closest to our family has known what a
an experience that has been for my
myself, my brothers and sisters
and for my father to go
through the trials and struggles
and the dark storms that brought forth.
Yet the storms didn't stop coming they
only subsided for a period of time. I must
say if I had not claimed this as my life verse,
I wouldn't be here today.
So I wait to see what the Lord's final
unveiling for my life will be!
Will he leave the dark trenches at the foot
of the mountains or will he fill them
with flowers growing abundantly at the
crevice of the majestic peaks?
Will he leave the dark clouds or will
he move them into the distance and
add a rainbow shining through
them radiating his glory?
Will he fill the canvas with teardrops or
will he fill the canvas with people drawn
to Christ because of the teardrops?
Will he show me ever walking by
his side or will he show me
limping and wounded and turning
away from his face?
What will the final canvas reveal?
Only the artist knows!
PSALMS 27
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
the LORD is the strength of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked,
even mine enemies and my foes,
came upon me to eat up my flesh,
they stumbled and fell. Though an host
should encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear:
though war should rise against me,
in this will I be confident.
One thing have I desired of the LORD,
that will I seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD,
and to enquire in his temple.
For in the time of trouble
he shall hide me in his pavilion:
in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me;
he shall set me up upon a rock.
And now shall mine head be lifted
up above mine enemies round about me:
therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy;
I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice:
have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face;
my heart said unto thee,
Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
Hide not thy face far from me;
put not thy servant away in anger:
thou hast been my help;
leave me not, neither forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me,
then the LORD will take me up.
Teach me thy way,
O LORD, and lead me in a plain path,
because of mine enemies.
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies:
for false witnesses are risen up against me,
and such as breathe out cruelty.
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see
the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage,
and he shall strengthen thine heart:
wait, I say, on the LORD.
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