A few weeks ago I had a dream. In it the Lord Jesus Christ was on His throne.
He held the earth in His hands. He was enormous, while the world was so little it fit safely into His palm.
He had a firm grip on the planet as He smiled at me and said, “I’m in control. No matter how chaotic things appear trust Me.”
I woke up and He helped me to paint that image, only not nearly so beautiful and powerful as it appeared in my dream.
Since I draw and paint with digital media on my IPad I like to record my painting journey and share it with my little granddaughters in hopes of inspiring them to become artists.
I believe the Lord would have me share this painting video with you in the hopes it will bring some hope or comfort to someone who may need it.
The Lord inspired me to begin this painting with one of my original bird paintings, a rather chaotic looking one! First He led me to deconstruct that bird painting and out of that insanity to begin something brand new; something bold and stable~
His throne began to emerge and then the form of Christ.
You will see this as you watch the video.
I have added the scriptures and end credits to my original drawing video with other video software since the art application software does not do anything but record the drawing, painting, or other creative processes, even mistakes!
But mistakes are part of the journey, aren’t they? 🙂
And now a word about my recent absence.
I know I can be silent sometimes for many long spaces.
But please don’t be alarmed by those seasons.
Chronic migraines make it quite a challenge to do anything with social media sometimes.
Always know I will come back, Lord willing, and share whatever He gives me to share with you.
Thank you always for your prayers.
Please know that no matter whether I’m present or absent, I’m always praying for you and your families. God knows this is true.
May the Lord use this painting video to bless and encourage those who need hope, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Love always and forever in Christ,
Suzanne ❤️
“The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.” Psalms 103:19 KJV
There has been so much bad news lately that sometimes I find myself feeling very anxious and unsafe. Psalm 103:19 reminds me that God truly is in control of all things no matter what is going on in the world.
“The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.” ~ Psalms 103:19 KJV
The Psalmist tells us, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:” Psalms 103:2 KJV
The word he used for “forget” means “to forget, ignore, cease to care…”
He then goes over all of the wonderful things the Lord does for us: “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” ~Psalms 103:3-5 KJV
Imagine spending a night in an agonythat affects every fiber of your body, unable to feel Christ’s loving presence, certain that you’re the chief of sinners, unforgiven, forever condemned to this abyss of torment.
Whenever there is a bad storm or rainy weather, I get violent migraines that rupture my mind with as severe emotional pain as the physical and neurological symptoms they cause.
Suddenly it seems I’ve fallen into a bottomless pit and that no one loves me—not even Jesus. I feel as if I’m the most despised of souls by everyone, even my family. I’m completely cut off, isolated in an abyss of pain. The burden of all the sins in the world are fastened around my aching head in a crown of thorns as sharp as daggers. My legs will not be still and seem like a thousand snakes are crawling inside of them. “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?”
I see Jesus on the cross crying to His Father and I cry out in tears for the Lord to come rescue me from this horrible torment. But I neither see nor feel Him. I’m a condemned sinner screaming and weeping in the darkness for I can’t bear to look at any light.
There in the Abyss I weep tears of remorse. Surely I must have been unkind to my husband, been the worst of mothers and grandmothers, daughters, siblings, friends, and citizens. I’m certain that I must have failed God and everyone else. And the most tormenting of all—-I must have committed the unpardonable sin— why else would I keep having these wretched migraines? Why else would God keep letting this happen to me?
In that pit of Sheol showers of condemnation pour mercilessly upon my soul like the rain drumming endlessly upon our windows and roof as the pain and neurological symptoms torture me.
My precious husband comes and prays for me, while I weep and pray unable to feel either Christ’s presence or love, nor even Mark’s, until at last I fall asleep, exhausted.
The next morning my symptoms are gone. I awake as if resurrected to new life. I’m filled with wondrous joy and peace, How grateful I am that Jesus went to the cross for me; that He has washed my sins away as far as the east is from the west. “Bless the Lord oh my soul. Forget not all His benefits. Who forgives all our sins, who heals all our diseases…” The beautiful sense of Christ’s love and presence enfold me in His arms.
I know then that He has held me throughout the night. He had not really abandoned me. Yet the dark storm of pain from my fierce migraine made me feel hidden from Christ’s presence and forsaken by Him who had promised to never fail or forsake me.
The Psalmist once experienced something like this. “Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will He be favourable no more? Is His mercy clean gone for ever? Doth His promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah.
And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.” Psalms 77:7-10 KJV
He goes through the bad things he suffers but then he says, “Ok, this is happening because of my afflictions. But I won’t dwell on the suffering. I will remember the good things God has done for me.”
In other words, “Bless the Lord oh my soul! Forget not all His benefits!”
Nationally we are experiencing a stormy path of darkness. Severe pain and troubling circumstances can make us feel isolated from the loving presence of God and cut off from all His promises.
God’s word promises that He heals all our diseases, He forgives all our sins. God is watching over all of us. He is still on His throne. He has not hidden His face from us. He hears all our prayers. Just as He eventually heals me from my migraines, I believe that the Lord will ultimately heal our nation from our current plague of troubles.
The definition for the word the Psalmist used for healing is interesting: (BDB Bible Dictionary Definition of original translation~ rapha~Strong’s H7495) To be healed of national hurts (figuratively) Of personal distress (figuratively) Of national defects of hurts (figuratively) To heal (literally) Of hurts of nations (Involving restored favor)
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalms 103:8-12 KJV
Not one of us deserves the grace that has been given us by the Lord through the cross of Christ, for the Bible declares that all of us are sinners.
The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Psalms 14:2-3 KJV
I guess our world reflects what the Bible declares we are. A mess. Jesus, the Son of God, came to die for us all to make us holy and to clean our souls up~to forgive our sins and heal us spiritually~to make us one with Him. This is very good news and fills me with such joy and peace!
Peace I Leave with You
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 KJV
I appreciate Christ’s gift of salvation and forgiveness more than I can ever say because of my chronic migraine affliction. Therefore I pray that I will never forget, mislay, or cease to care about this wondrous benefit from God, this gift and treasure of everlasting life and peace with God that my Lord Jesus suffered and died on the cross to give me and everyone in the whole world who will receive it.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits…” Psalms 103:1-2 KJV In Jesus’ name, Amen and amen.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your Gift of Salvation in Christ, the forgiveness of sins As far as the east is from the west, Your measureless love for us, Oh thank You and may we never forget Or mislay, or cease to care about all You do for us every day For Thy mercies are new every morning, In Jesus name. Amen and amen.
I Am the God that heals thee I mend the broken hearts I restore the shattered souls That have been torn apart…
I Am the God that heals thee Who bears with thee thy pain I bore upon My cross thy grief, Thy sickness, and thy shame…
I bore thy suffering, thy sin And by My stripes you’re healed And made whole within thy soul, Redeemed, forever sealed… Upon My heart, upon My hands You ever are engraved, Forgiven from thy every sin, Thy soul within is saved.
I Am Thy God that heals thee Within thy very soul, I’m working every day you live To ever make thee whole… Perfecting thee on thy journey Since it was begun, I will complete My work in thee Until Thy journey’s done,
“…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” ~ Psalms 30:5 KJV
“Lord my God, I prayed to you, and you healed me. Lord, you lifted me out of the grave. I was falling into the place of death, but you saved my life.”~ Psalms 30:2-3 ERV
“I am sure that the good work God began in you will continue until He completes it on the day when Jesus Christ comes again.” ~Philippians 1:6 ERV
“God has blessed you in ways that serve Christ. He allowed you to believe in Christ. But that is not all. He has also given you the honor of suffering for Christ. Both of these bring glory to Christ.” ~Philippians 1:29 ERV
Lord, many of Thy children are suffering. Please wrap Thy Holy arms around each one of them. Help them to know that You love them very much.
May they feel Thy tangible presence with them as they walk through the Shadow Valley; may they know without a doubt that You are with them, so they will have no fear.
May You comfort and encourage them today and give them peace and hope that You will surely bring them through this dark time; that there is joy and light at the end of this seemingly endless tunnel.
Though weeping may endure for a night, joy will come in the morning, for so Thy Word has promised.
Lord, please hold their hands and pour Thy peace upon them without measure; let them know that You love them as if they were the only child that You had to love. Thank You Lord, we love You.
On the cross Christ bore the sins Of all humanity Not all the pain and sin and shame For all eternity Not even all the hosts of hell Nor death claimed victory…
Over Christ, God’s only Son Who shed His spotless blood To redeem our sinful souls And make us each His child…
Born anew in righteousness, Not ours but Christ’s alone, A righteousness we could not earn But His redemption clothed.
Christ purchased righteousness for us With His spotless blood; We receive His gift of grace, By faith we know and trust
That God is ever faithful, That He can never lie He was faithful to His Son To raise Him back to life After Jesus bore our sins And suffered hell three days His Father kept His Holy Word And rose Him from the grave…
Now He lives to die no more So all can now be saved Who come to Christ for salvation When to the Lord they pray Asking Christ into their heart His children now are they To ever walk with Him by faith To love Jesus with all their heart And ever sing His praise. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.
“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” Titus 1:2 KJV
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV
“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV
“Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.” ~ Psalms 16:9-10 KJV
“For we walk by faith and not by sight…” 2 Corinthians 5:7
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17 KJV
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for loving the world so much that You sent Thy only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, that we might not perish, but have everlasting life with Thee. Jesus Christ is our indescribable Gift of eternal life from Thee. We thank You for the cross and the resurrection. We love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
