(Week 29) Angels and the Nations

(Week 29) Angels and the Nations

“And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.” Rev. 14:6 NLT

Story behind the painting:

A friend asked me to paint a picture for her new office.  I met her at the designated time, scoped out the scene and we headed off to lunch.  She is a woman after my own heart, good food and deep conversation from the get-go.  We wasted no time in the shallow water.  Faith, family, friendship and food flavored our fellowship. (I love some good old alliteration:) She told me she felt God had led her to me to paint for her office; she liked the style of a particular painting I had recently posted of my children:

 and she liked angels. Surprisingly, I had just finished a book on angels.  I took a stash of good reads on vacation and having devoured them all, I happen to grab this one in the airport on the way home:

https://www.amazon.com/Angels-Are-Real-Inspiring-Biblical/dp/0800795156

We discussed size and some colors for her office masterpiece. The rest she handed over to the Holy Spirit; HE had free range to hover over the canvas as HE chose.

{Side note:  If you had asked me in college if I was artistic, I would have told you, hands down, that I did not have a creative bone in my body. However, I was fascinated by the life songs behind many artistes and the works of their hands.

I kept taking art history classes because I was drawn to the stories. Eventually and unintentionally, I ended up with a minor in fine arts in addition to my B.S. in psychology.   It seemed a bit odd to have graduated with this unlikely pairing.  However, I am seeing first hand how God has been steadily weaving my story together, even when I was oblivious to HIS fingerprints on the fabric of my life. 

He has been and continues to do that in your story as well!

Can you take a quick look back?

Do you see any seemingly strange turn of events that have played out beautifully in the tapestry of your life thus far?

I once heard a sculptor describe chiseling as setting the creation free.  The art was already there. The artist simply had the privilege of pulling back the veil on the revelation just waiting to be birthed.

This painting,”Angels and the Nations”, was news to me.  All I can say is that the Divine danced in dazzling color, as I simply held the paintbrush.  It changed shapes several times in the process but metamorphosis has a way of birthing beautiful from cocoons called blank canvases! }

Back to the story behind the painting…

Needless to say, I was a bit terrified (I love an oxymoron:)  This is by far the biggest canvas I have painted-36 x 36. It will be displayed in a beautiful office with lots of visitors.

What if it is not what she wanted?

What if I didn’t hear the Holy Spirit correctly?

What if she likes it but others don’t?

The list of “What if” doubts and insecurities went on and on.

BUT GOD…

Kindly whispered,

“The WHAT IFs are endless. WHAT IF you just give them to ME.”

So I did!

This I know:

I made the delivery.

I loved every second of the painting process.

I truly aimed to please God with this project.

I prayed the whole time I painted.

and I hope to have left a beauty mark that points to Christ in my friend’s office.

Take-away Treasure:

This painting is a visual representation of so many things God has taught and is teaching me.  I gleaned much from the airport angel book and much more from God’s Word.  The Holy Spirit got up-close and personal as HE spoke my love language. The layers of paint and of meaning are many. I will give you the bullet points emblazoned on my heart that burst forth in brushstrokes:

*Angels are God’s messengers.  Angels accompany us on our earthly journey.

“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:14 NIV

*Angels can appear in whatever form is necessary to accomplish God’s purposes.

*The angels in my painting are colorful because I picture God’s messengers reflecting the many colors of God’s character.

“Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars.” Revelation 10:1

“As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory …” Ezekiel 1:28

*My angels can’t take their eyes off God because worshipping the ONE TRUE GOD is their jam.  They are radiant because they are beholding the Radiant One. I attempted to display their Glory Glow!

*My angels are childlike ( don’t have a theological freak out-I am not saying that this is what angels actually look like in HEAVEN or that children become angels:) I painted them childlike to represent God’s call on our lives to have faith “like a child.”

*My angels represent the nations.

The throne room is going to be colorful and loud:

“After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”… ” Revelation 7:9-10

Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. 12 And they sang in a mighty chorus:  “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing.”  Revelation 5:11-12 

“…and day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.” Revelation 4:8 

*My angels have the appearance of heart shaped wings. I believe it is a visual representation of this promise:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezek. 36:26

While painting I pray. I prayed for my friend and her family. I prayed for her work place. I prayed for every person who sits in her office.

I prayed that God would get oodles and oodles of glory from this art and I thanked HIM repeatedly for HIS Presence

“…I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 MSG

and the presence of HIS Heavenly angels.

“God’s angel sets up a circle
of protection around us while we pray.” Psalm 34:7 MSG

I hope you will see even more God arrows in “Angels and the Nations”; for He promised if we look for HIM, we will always find HIM!

“Angels and the Nations”