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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Here is the E-mail Devotions for the week!
Bible verse: John 8:34-47
There once was a young artist, who was not having a very successful career as a painter. No one would buy his paintings and no one would comission him to paint their portrait. The young man was very much the starving artist, an even bigger problem was that his wife and two children were starving too.
One night in his despair he prayed to God asking for help; "Dear God, help me sell my art so that I can feed my family. Help me be a painter that can see into the hearts of people so that they will want to buy my pictures, because I have captured on canvas who they really are!"
The next day he was painting a neighbor's wife who took pity on the starving family. He would paint her picture for the price of a meal for he and his family. The middle age woman had lived a tough life, having worked hard and raised six children, three of whom had died before adulthood. But she did not let the trials of life get her down. She was a kind woman and it was her kindness that was to feed the artist and his family.
When the portrait was complete, the young man showed his painting to her. She was amazed, for his painting showed a beautiful woman of great dignity and compassion. The portrait did look like the woman, but clearly there was something more. The woman showed it to her husband and he saw that his wife had truly been seen by the artist. Besides the meal the husband paid the young man a day's wage and promised him that he would tell everyone he knew of this most excellent painter.
Word spread and many in that part of town came to have their portrait done. The price was cheap and even the poor could pay with a meal or a day's wage to see how wonderfully they or their family looked through the eyes of the young artist. Not all the artist's customers liked what he painted, for some who appeared beautiful on the outside did not look all that beautfil on the inside.
God had answered the artist's prayer and gave him the ability to see into the very soul of everyone he painted. The fame of the artist spread even into the higher circles of the kingdom's social elite and rich husbands wanted their wives portraits painted, parents wanted their children picture and royality wanted themselves on canvas.
This caused some problems for the young man for when he looked into the hearts of some of his potential clients he knew that the picture he would create would not be very nice to look at. So he became somewhat selective and in doing so, his fame grew. One day a messenger from the king came bringing word that he was to come to castle's for an audience.
The king wanted a temple built that would reflect the faith and glory of the kingdom. The story of the people would be reflected in the murals on the walls and the young artist was comissioned to paint them. This was a great honor and the young man gladly ccepted the comission. The king wanted help and so told the young artisit that he would send the best and most beautiful of the kingdom to be his models for the murals.
When the time came to paint the walls of the temple with the histroy of the kingdom there was a line of would be models for the roles of the heroes and heroines in this epic mural. The problem was that most of the people who came certainly looked beautiful on the outside but were defromed on the inside by their sins. What could the painter do?
That night in a dream an angel came to the young man and told him that he should remember where he came from and how his success began. The painter awoke with a idea on how he might complete the mural and not offend the royality and elite of the kingdom.
From that day on a large barrier was errected so that no one could see what the aritist was creating. Streams of people from all walks of life came to the artist behind his barrier by invitation and were sworn to secrecy by what they saw. However no one person was able to see the entire mural until it was finished.
Finally the day came for the unveiling, the king and queen and all the powers ti be in the kingdom were there. When the barrier was dropped, the crowd gave a collective; "Ahh!"
Then they began to cheer the beautiful mural and its creator.
The king was so pleased that he doubled the price of the comission. People came from places near and far to see the wonder of the temple and its mural.
The artist never told anyone who he used as his models. But those who were chosen to pose for the mural were surprized to be used as characters in the painting, but they were more than pleased to be used. The royality of the land thought that they were used. But the artist knew the truth.
For those who depended on God's grace were forgiven and had hearts made pure and holy.
Prayer: God of grace and mercy, forgives us from our sins and set us free from that which binds our hearts. Show us the beauty of a life lived in your grace. We pray this in Jesus name! AMEN!
God's Peace!
Pastor Paul