My husband and I were driving home to Palm Desert from Los Angeles, and we decided to take Interstate 210 West to avoid rush hour traffic coming out of downtown L.A. As we took the turn, I looked to my left towards Mt. Baldy and Mt. San Antonio. And there in the sky I saw one of the most unusual and eye–catching cloud formations I've ever seen.
It was as though someone had taken a large watercolor brush and painted streaks of dark violet–blue, a color similar to Daniel Smith Moonglow Fine Art Watercolor, all across the sky. I was so struck by this spectacle in the clouds that I immediately took the next turn and got off the freeway, determined to find a place to try and capture the beauty.
I traveled north into a neighborhood in Upland, California, and finally just pulled over and parked. I knew if I could stand in the middle of the road, I could capture an image of this beautiful sky. So, with no cars on the road at that time, I walked across the street, stood in the middle of the crosswalk, and captured three images.
I love this image so much! It is a perfect reminder of a truth we need to remember, especially when times are difficult and challenging. One of the great names of God is Elohim and He is able to create something out of nothing. He is a Master Artist and is designing beauty and purpose into your life according to His great plan.
Paul, in his letter to the Ephesian church wrote —
For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10 NLT
I love what Charles Spurgeon, the British prince of preachers, writes about God as a Master Artist at work in our lives: "You have seen a painter with his palette on his finger and he has ugly little daubs of paint on the palette. What can he do with those spots? Go in and see the picture. What splendid painting! In an even wiser way does Jesus act toward us. He takes us, poor smudges of paint, and He makes the blessed pictures of His grace out of us. It is neither the brush nor the paint He uses, but it is the skill of His own hand which does it all."
The Greek word for "masterpiece" is "poiema" and means "something made by God Himself." It is how we derive the English words, "poem" and "poetry."
In my book, The Calling: The Story of Who You Are and Why You Are Here, I wrote about "The Beautiful Masterpiece Of You" —
Sam Gordon, a Bible teacher for Trans World Radio on the program, Truth For Today, in his book, The Genius of Grace: The Message of Ephesians, describes God's handiwork this way: "Each of our lives is the papyrus on which the Master is producing a work of art that will fill the everlasting ages with His praise." Just think of it—you are literally God's poetry and art where the Lord is expressing Himself in and through you doing good things for others in a lost and hurting world.
The Calling — The Story Of Who You Are And Why You Are Here by Catherine Martin
Today, dear friend, be encouraged that God, the Master Artist, is at work in your life, painting a beautiful masterpiece in and through you.
Lord, today we look to you to paint beauty and purpose into the landscape of our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Blessings ♡ Grace
