Seeing The Brush Strokes

Today's post comes from Kassie at Guiding Light From His Word

 TODAY IN HIS WORD COMES FROM

(Isaiah 40:12-14 NKJV)
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span
 and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?
Weighed the mountains in scale and the hills in a balance?
 Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him?
 With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice?
Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?

THOUGHT TO PONDER:Sometimes in our rush to see the finished picture, we miss seeing the very essence of God as He loving holds the paintbrush, and mixes all the colors and tenderly, but with precision, applies the brush strokes to the canvas of our lives.

TODAY’S INSIGHT INTO HIS WORD:Yesterday my day didn't go at all according to original plan. It started out the way I had intended, but was quickly altered when my oldest son called and asked if I would like for him to buy us breakfast. Now I had a lot of work to do-- in fact I was in the middle of writing-- but when your 18 year old son calls and would like to spend time with you.... things can change very quickly.

I never made it to the office, I never finished what I had planned to do for the day... and I never did get back to writing. BUT what I did wind up doing, I now see as a moment from God. You see, I wound up not at my tree, but a different place I sometimes go to pray that is a little closer to home. I had also taken with me my yellow tablets from the past 2 years that I have journaled and have written out the sightings of God's hands pints in my life.

Now the way I journal, is first it has to be on a yellow tablet. Don't know why, for me it just does. My prayer book and everything else can be on something different, but these moments I have seen God, has to be written on yellow. Second, anything pertaining to God's handprint is written in purple. This can be an event I realized could have only been by God, or a verse that some how was brought to my attention that spoke volumes, a devotional that seemed to answer prayer... just whatever it is that I know God has shown me that He was there. Sometimes I will also use a red pen to journal the events leading up to my sighting... but the actual answer, or whatever God did, I write in purple. I then use a blue pen to journal my thoughts and prayers about this sighting God has given me.

So anyway there I sat yesterday at this spot. I prayed for a little bit, and then I picked up the notepads and started reading through the purple passages. I smiled at some, took a deep breath over others, and rejoiced at the ones I had completely forgotten. You see for one, it is important that we create memory stones to have that will remind us of God's Work, and Word He has spoken to us. It is also equally important that we go back and visit the memories, otherwise in the day to day life, we forget things. For instance, on January 3rd, 2010, I had written in purple, 1 Peter 2:2 "May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure." And in my notes I had written: "My question to you the other night; 'What is full measure-- what does that mean?"  You see a few days before, I had the strongest impression during my quiet time of "full measure." And since this was not a phrase I use, I knew it was from God, I just had no idea what it meant or why this was so strong in my heart. But a few days later, this verse was brought to my attention, and upon doing a deeper study of it, I found that what God was telling me was "COMPLETELY." That what He was working in me and for me, will be in the fullest measure-- it will be completely finished. God will not leave His promises to me done only half way. That though it may be taking a very long time, it will be done COMPLETELY and in the fullest measure.

For me this moment WAS a God moment I will be able to journal, because He used this time to remind of things I had forgotten, that I very much needed to be reminded of. After I went through the tablets, I sat in quietness and was looking out at the sky. From where I was sitting, it was beautiful. The color of blue was the prettiest shade, and looking around, there was not a cloud in the sky, except for the one directly in front of me. However it wasn't really a cloud, there was white but in a stroke like fashion. Basically what I mean is, it wasn't a solid white cloud. It looked as if someone had taken a paintbrush and wiped it off on a blue sheet. You could see blue through the white, and it really appeared as if you could see the brush strokes in it.

I sat there for the longest time in appreciation for God's design, and thought about what I had just read. It occurred to me that, though I had not had a "Word Spoken" in my life or in my circumstances that moved mountains, or crumbled walls.... God has been with me the whole time. He has been walking with me. And it was a reminder of a verse I highlighted in my Bible a while back: I will walk with you and be your God, and you will be my people. (Lev. 26:12 NCV) Again, looking up at the sky and the stroke of white, I reminded myself that the same God whose hand can span the heavens, is big enough to topple mountains when it is time. But in the meantime, I have these reminders that God has given me quiet nods of His head to show me that He is there, and has been listening, and walking with me.

This has made me think about the giftbaskets I use to make. I knew what the finished basket was suppose to look like, because I already had a picture of it in my mind. So I could go about designing it in just the right way-- because I was the designer. I was the creator, and knew what pieces it needed and what had to go in first, in order for the basket to come out the way I intended for the customer. In the same way, God knows what His painting of my life is suppose to look like, and because HE IS THE ARTIST-- not me-- He knows in what way to mix the colors and paint the canvas in such a way (and in order) that it  will look like the way HE has intended for it to be. And though He has given me glimpses of what it will look like, I have to wait until He is ready to unveil the finished picture, before seeing how all this is all going to come together.

One final note about yesterday... as I got ready to leave my space, I turned on the car and got ready to drive away, and on the radio was the end of a song I didn't recognize but the voice was singing, "I see now, You've been with me all along...." I had to smile. If I hadn't been certain that my quiet time was orchestrated by God already, this would be the confirmation that I was in the right place, and spending time that was needed.

PRAYING IN FAITH;
      Father God, I come before You in thanksgiving of Your time I had with You yesterday. Lord, Thank You for the reminder that You have been walking with me. Thank You for Your faithfulness in showing me what I had forgotten. Lord I praise You as the everlasting God, and that Your hand does span the heavens and measures out the sea and everything in our lives. Lord, You alone are God, no one needs to give You direction or understanding. You do not ask or need our counsel but it is we that need You. And You will make Your Will know, if we but spend time to ask, and then listen.
     Lord, I lift up this reader with me today. Lord, I ask that You watch over them and protect them. Lord, I ask You to guard their steps and lead them in the way YOU would have them to go. Lord, I ask You to go before them and clear the path for them. I also pray that they will be able to look back at today and see the traces of Your handprints, and see You have been there all along.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 

My friend, have a wonderful and blessed day,

Kassie