Painting with a broken brush

Nov 30^th (394 words)

What is life without faith?  What is life without God?  What is life without faith in God?  What does life look like if you are living it without actively, daily including God in it?

“Bla bla bla…” you may say sarcastically.  “That’s your job David – to talk about God and faith and all that stuff.”  But I speak out of the convictions of my heart – not because it is my job.

I sometimes get discouraged with the brokenness all around me – as well as the brokenness of my own life.  These moments of discouragement are largely because I am looking around me – living without faith – hung up on the depressing state of the world.

A life of faith in God is able to find its encouragement in who God is.  He isn’t broken.  He has us in this broken world for a short season – as we look by faith to a perfect future he is painting.  How is God painting a perfect future in heaven?  With us.  With you and me – all of us broken paint brushes.

Ever seen a paintbrush so broken that only a few bristles are left?  Ever seen a paintbrush so broken that it no longer has a handle – and the painter needs to take hold of it higher up if it is to be used?

God delights in us.  He delights in using us to get eternity ready.  He delights in us because he has delighted in Jesus, his Son – so God the Father delights in us through God the Son. 

Imagine a painter painting with a brush that only has a few bristles… it takes longer – applying less paint with every application, but the finished masterpiece will be exactly what the painter wants.

Even in the sorrow we might feel because of the brokenness of the world be encouraged by the words of Isaiah:  “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me… to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion – to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified” (Isaiah 61:1-3)