FIRST STEP TO A FINAL DESTINATION

FIRST STEP TO A FINAL DESTINATION

Do you ever feel like you’re being pushed into something bigger than you’re ready for? This week, I realized how much the Lord is involved in the painting I’m currently working on. He keeps giving me directions that make more work for me! I think I’ve had to change one particular section of the background at least five times, and yesterday, he showed me another change I have to make in that section, too. Since I was getting a bit frustrated, he explained to me why I needed to make the change. Of course, when I thought about it, he was perfectly right, and I saw how much better the painting would be because of that change.

 

There have been many changes in other sections of the painting, too. At one point, he told me to go out and get the folder that contains several cloud photos I’ve taken over the years. And another time, he told me to go out to the garage and grab a couple of books I have of paintings by N. C. Wyeth, who painted dramatic scenes that included clouds. I have to admit I didn’t really want to do all the extra research; I’ve already done tons of research, and I just wanted to paint! But yesterday, I realized that I don’t have to be in a hurry. The Lord is teaching me detail by detail, and I really like that, and I’m listening. The painting is a little daunting and honestly exceeds my skill level, but I was inspired to do it, so I’m going ahead with it.

 

There’s always a first step to a final destination, even if we don’t know what the destination is.

 

I just watched SOUND OF FREEDOM last night again—got it from the library since Jane didn’t get to see it in the theater. My favorite line in the movie was when Vampiro told Tim Ballard, “When God tells you what to do, you cannot hesitate.” I didn’t intend to start this detailed, and difficult painting, but when God pushes, you can’t say no. And did you know that Jesus faced the same thing? John 1 and 2 tell us the story.

 

Jesus had just been baptized by John the Baptist, marking the beginning of his ministry. John said of him: “ This is he of whom I said, ‘After me cometh a man which is preferred before me’. . . And John bare record, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. . . And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God’” (John 1:30, 32, 34).  

 

John the Baptist prepared the people for the coming of Christ, and when John baptized Jesus, he told his followers to start following Jesus. They did, and they got others to follow him, too, and Jesus began to teach them.

 

“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there” (John 2:1).

 

So what did Jesus’ mother do? She invited Jesus and his new disciples to the wedding. When they got there, they wanted to join the celebration, and they wanted a glass of wine.

 

“And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, ‘They have no wine’” (v. 3). They all knew that Jesus had been proclaimed as the Christ, the promised one who would save the world, and mom was no exception. She expected her son to find a solution to the wine problem, and she pushed him.

 

But, like us, Jesus wasn’t so happy about being pushed. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus went through every thought and emotion we go through, including being annoyed when we feel pushed to do something we may not feel ready for!

 

So Jesus basically told Mom to back off. “Jesus saith unto her, ‘Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come’” (v. 4). He was saying something like, “Hold on a doggone minute! I just got baptized the other day, or did you forget? I’m not quite ready for this stuff yet!” But his mother knew who he was, and she trusted whatever decision he would make.

 

“His mother saith unto the servants, ‘Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it’” (v. 5). Jesus’ mother was wise—she was a thinker. When it came to her son, she absolutely knew what God said about who her child was going to be. Remember in Luke 2 when Jesus was born, and the shepherds came and corroborated what the angel had told Mary about birthing the Messiah, “Christ the Lord.”

 

“And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:18-19).

 

So when Jesus was baptized into his ministry, she gave him a little shove, but left the decision totally up to him. And what did he do? He tapped into the spirit of God within him and took the first step, and immediately he was on the fast track to his destiny. Jesus did his first public miracle and made water into wine and it was the best wine they ever tasted!

 

When we feel like we’re being pushed a little too hard or a little too fast into something we feel we may not be ready for, if we’re pretty sure it’s of God, let’s not fight it, but just say, “Okay, let’s do this”. After all, we only have to take one step at a time and Jesus is always there, and our guardian angels too, to help and guide us to our final destinations. No matter how old or young you are, it’s a great journey!

 

Love, Carolyn

 

Great life lessons from the Bible: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=books+by+Carolyn+Molica&crid=1KYTIP7EKZP5M&sprefix=books+by+carolyn+molica%2Caps%2C126&ref=nb_sb_noss