Rooted in love

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. - Ephesians 3:16-19

Isaiah 55

Isaiah 55:13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

I see the throns and briers as our old life, that the Lord redeemed. Instead of what could have been see what He has done.

The wondering Lamb

I love the imagery of us being like sheep. There are some many times that we are like dumb sheep wondering away blindly heading toward danger. I love that the Lord is our shephard. He wants to break our legs and carry us around on his shoulders until we learn his voice. This picture isnt quite finished. I have some ideas to add some color to it. So i will update it.

Here are the scriptures that inspired this picture.

175 Let me live that I may praise you,
and may your laws sustain me.
176 I have strayed like a lost sheep.
Seek your servant,
for I have not forgotten your commands.

- Psalm 119: 175-176

2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” - John 10:2-5

14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. - Ezekiel 34:14-16

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” - John 10: 14-18

Restored

A song inspired a word picture, that word picture inspired me searching the Bible for scriptures. Here is the painting that was produced with my time with the Lord. I love the lessons I learned from doing this painting.

The song was "I think of you" by Laura Story As I drove down the road I listen to these words. They were so powerful to me. How great the love of the Lord is for me, that he would choose pay the highest price for broken pieces of clay. I remember thinking it was like God went to an auction and paid billions of dollars for something broken and worth only .5 cents."When I think of streams that weave through desert lands as beauty comes alive. I think of the healing fountain of your grace in my life.

I think of you who shines with endless light through broken jars of clay. I think of you redeeming every part of each day that you've made and i think of you.
When i think of children laughing, full of wonder and families reconciled i think of the joy that's found in answered prayer and it makes me smile.

For redemptions now the story of my soul. For it was you who paid the highest price for broken jars of clay and you still choos to use my life for your glory displayed."

The pot represents my life, how I am empty, broken and sinful. The closer I get to the Lord the more I see my sin and how broken my life is without Him. I have been glued by together by the grace of God by him Love and redemption. It is because of Jesus' sacrifical death on the cross that I am able to be one with Christ. Jesus has filled my broken and cracked vessel with light and has choosen to use me and pour his life into my life and because of him I have Hope.

"Do you not know? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strengthen to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even young men stumble and fall but those whose Hope is in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:28-31

For God who said "Let light shine of darkness made his light shine in our hearts to give our hearts to give us the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ but we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. We always carry around in our bodies the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:6-10

Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Don't cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalms 51:10-12

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3

Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:22-26