A space for encouragement

"Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."  John 1:29

From Biblehub.com:

The year is 2012 and the Lord God gave me the word Reflect to consider for a whole year.  My favorite verse from that season is 2 Corinthians 3:18:

I have been pretty quiet in this space for the month of March.  However, I have been very busy creating artwork.  April 4 I am participating in an Artist Market.  I have never done this before and so needless to say I am a bit nervous.  I have been arranging things for the booth set up this last week.   I am praying and preparing and trusting God Almighty has got things all worked out ahead of me.  If you are local to Central Alabama perhaps you can come by:

The word for March is "Consume".  The dictionary definition is to destroy or expend by use; to eat or drink up, devour; so spend wastefully; to absorb, engross.  The Hebrew word, akal, encompasses all of those definitions.  As the month flows consume scriptures will be reminders of: eating - God is the source of life; fellowship - shared meals, unity, sacred feasts; holiness - daily habits are avenues of worship; stewardship - vigilance against sins consuming effects.

January began with seeking the Lord "With all my heart" and flowed into February's "Surrender".  To love the Lord my God with my whole heart requires a surrender to His will not mine.  The calendar rolls over to March.  How did it come so quickly?  The Lord places verses with the key word "Consume" before me.  

Last March I took a prophetic art workshop, by Zoom, in my prayer/art room.  This year what a joy to take the class again, by Zoom, but with other prophetic artists at our church.  

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Day 7 - I'm struggling with the soft pastels.  I'm struggling with time to create  the art.  I'm wrestling with the art medium.  There are some things in my own heart I'm wrestling with as well.  

Strife - a contest, a quarrel, discord, contention that sets people at odds and destroys fellowship.  This is not from the Lord.  Strife is a heart issue, a societal practice that invites chaos.  Apart from the Lord my inner reality is strife within myself, an inner discord, no peace, no kindness even towards myself.  Surrender takes humility, first to the Lord Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace.  The reality is, I live in a fallen world, a world that is not submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Why expect anything but strife from those who do not know Jesus. I do know the Living God.  Lord, search me, bring the peace of God in my surrendered heart for a world full of strife.

David spends many years of his early anointed years on the run for his life.  He saves a city. Then in order for them to save their own neck, God tells David, Saul is coming and the townspeople with surrender you to the raging Saul.  Some thanks.  Yet in the midst of an unjust running and betrayal, David seeks his God and God answers in order to protect the man who is after God's own heart.  No matter who turns on you, God is on your side.

New art medium equals new challenges.  How does the product move on the paper?  How does it blend?  What kind of pen writes best over the artwork?  And many other questions.  My mind is chaos, but in a good way, so my desk looks chaotic also.