God the Artist
Have you ever felt that God abandoned you? Did you question whether He would keep His promises? Have you been disappointed, thinking that you have kept Him at your right hand so as not to be shaken (Psalm 16:8) and instead found yourself shaking and fighting alone?
I have always imagined God as an artist, painting a picture for each one of us. Each painting portrays the life of one individual. All images are of the same importance; accordingly, the effort and the attention to detail are distributed equally. As with any artistic work, the beauty of the product does not appear before it reaches a complete state. It is the same with our lives. If someone looks at an incomplete version, it may at first appear ugly, inconsistent, or even brutal. But when we truly begin to understand how God works, we realize that these impressions are likely a result of our lack of understanding and imagination. God never abandons His children. He does, however, unfold the portrait of our lives in His own timing, adding depth where He sees fit and building bridges where we may see only a deep hole.
One could say that each individual life is predetermined and known to God before even being born. This statement contains elements of truth; however, it does not capture the whole story. Jesus said, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” (John 5:17) This verse suggests that the finer details of our lives are continually being worked on by the artist, our Heavenly Father. Since the details of our lives are taken care of by our Father, who is love, then we should rest assured that they are always in the best shape possible, “The LORD works out everything to its proper end — even the wicked for a day of disaster.” (Proverbs 16:4)
In a time of pain, loss, or anger, our ability to perceive degrades, and our vision becomes blurry. Our shortsightedness could increase our anger towards God. While this is certainly understandable, we always need to remember the ultimate fairness and righteousness of God. When God drew the picture of our salvation, which was the image of his Son’s life on earth, He treated it exactly the same as He does with all other images. In the life of Christ, physical pain (or rather death) was necessary because salvation would not have been possible without death. The picture was not readily apparent while being developed; imagine the feeling of Jesus’ disciples’ after His death on the cross. A few of them, if not all, did not comprehend God’s wisdom and were confused by the painful and brutal scene; however, their perception completely changed after the resurrection. When the masterpiece was completed, the disciples’ confusion turned to joy, they praised God, and with evident faith, they preached the gospel and built the church.
Many life stories demonstrate that what we often see as a disaster is simply a bridge. Joseph’s story is a pertinent example. In fact, it had multiple bridges. The first bridge occurred when Joseph’s brothers sold him to the Ishmaelites. Had they not sold him, he would have never been brought to Egypt. Another bridge developed when his master put him in prison. Had this not occurred, he would not have been introduced to the Pharaoh and saved the earth from the drought. Hence, the picture had to be finished to see that the obstacles in Joseph’s life were only bridges. These bridges were the way to say, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man” (Genesis 39:2).
In conclusion, the absolute truth is that God is love, He is our Father, and we are his children. He does know and works on every single detail about us. As He assured, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Luke 12:7). God is full; He absorbs each one of us to His unity, to enjoy His overflowing love.
May God always be merciful to us, strengthen us, and show us His wisdom in times of weakness and strength.
