By HUNTER GREENE
Sometimes when life gets stressful and my buddies and I need to clear our heads, we will turn on a painting show on Netflix. Not just any painting show, but none other than Bob Ross on PBS. Many of you are probably familiar with Bob and his infamous afro hair. You may call me crazy, but there is something about watching him paint and talk that clears my mind and relaxes me. My favorite part of his show is when he starts painting with an ugly, dark color, and I think that he has messed up his painting. Then after a few minutes, he starts scratching in some twigs and branches and brings to life his “happy little tree.” I have learned that even though I don’t always know what in the world Bob is doing on the canvas, I know that I am always amazed and pleased by the finish product.
I think this is how we are to approach our lives with God. God is the master painter of this universe. He has placed every vein in every leaf. He has sown every seed in the earth. He has painted the colors of every fish, bird, and animal. He has placed millions of shining stars in our night sky. He turns a blue sky into a starburst of red, orange, and purple at dusk. He has carved out canyons and rivers. He has even made us uniquely beautiful. God has designed the universe, and He governs the universe. What makes you think that He doesn’t know what He is doing in your life?
Isaiah 40:25-31 reads, “To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Many of us are tired and weary. Life has beat us to death. Every morning, we wake up with no hope, no song, and no smile. We are sick and tired of being sick and tired. Life just isn’t what we want it to be. We would really like to know what God is up to in our lives and why we are enduring so much pain and uncertainty. However, if I can encourage you today, I want you to know that God is still on His throne, and He knows exactly what He is doing.
God has orchestrated the world that we live in, and He is wanting to be the orchestrator of your life as well. You have to give Him your life and future though. When I’m watching Bob Ross, it can be so easy to question what he is doing and doubt that he is going to make something good out of all those brush strokes. It’s tough waiting on the painter. We often times don’t realize that God is just painting one small part of our canvas, and He has a grand plan to bring it all together in the end.
Isaiah 40:12 says, “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?” The answer to these questions is not you and me. We can trust God. He is big enough, knowledgeable enough, and loving enough to take care of us no matter what we go through. God isn’t done with you yet. Trust Him. If you wait upon the Lord to finish what He started, you will walk again, run again, and fly again. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t like your canvas right now. Your wings are coming.
(The Solution Column is provided by Pastor Brandon Young of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church, Hampton, and his associate, Hunter Greene.)