A Priceless Painting

“The Lord within her is righteous; He does no
wrong. Morning by morning He dispenses His
justice, and every new day He does not fail.”
Zephaniah 3:5

Look through a list of the most expensive paintings ever sold and you’ll be staggered by the value placed by collectors on some of the rare treasures adorning canvases around the world. Take for example Paul Cezanne’s ‘The Card Player’, finished in 1893; this famous masterpiece, holding the distinction for topping the sales chart, was purchased by the royal family of Qatar in 2011 for an astounding $250 million. The values might go down from there but sales of artwork at exorbitant prices, in the tens of millions of dollars, have become commonplace in our day.

In reality, we are all painters but our canvases are our minds and the subjects of our works range far and wide. We paint pictures of what people are like, of how they’ll respond to us, of what is motivating their behavior, and more. We paint pictures of our future, how certain events will play out and what the end result of our actions will be. But by far the most crucial, and potentially the most valuable, picture we will ever paint is the one we paint of God.

What I want to propose is that if you paint a right picture of God in your mind, it will become the most priceless treasure you’ll ever possess, able to keep you through the most difficult of times. And without a doubt that is one of those ‘easier said than done’ propositions. You’ve got to get the love of God and the mercy of God just right, not to mention having the justice of God and the righteousness of God in just the right proportions. And you’ve got to rightly depict the heart of God, using His Word, without letting the circumstances of life distort the picture you’re painting of God. Not enough love and the picture won’t sell at Wal-Mart. Not enough justice and the picture will sell like hotcakes but the value will plummet over time. Not enough greatness or goodness, and even you won’t want to put your God on display for all to see.

On this Easter morning, we have a beautiful vantage point from which to create the most precious painting of all time. The empty cross, the ultimate symbol of selfless, sacrificial love, still stained by the blood of a Savior, is perfectly visible; the empty tomb of a Risen Christ, whose righteousness death could not overcome, offers us life, hope and unending joy; and the power of God, seen this Resurrection Sunday, is on display for all to see and lay hold of!

Happy Easter,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

The Speedwell

“The dangers were great, but not desperate; the difficulties were many, but not invincible …. their ends were good and honorable …. and therefore they might expect the blessing of God.”

William Bradford

The painting adorning the walls of the Rotunda in the Capitol of the United States is entitled Embarkation of the Pilgrims and depicts the Pilgrims, with knees bowed, and Bible in hand, preparing to depart for the New World and the religious freedom it offered them. The date was July 22, 1620; the place was Delfs Haven, Holland, but the ship was not, as most would expect, the Mayflower. Hidden on a plank in that painting, viewed by tens of thousands annually as they tour The Capitol, is the name of the ship the Pilgrims sailed forth on that day, the Speedwell.

Arriving in England, this group of determined travelers met up with others who were to make the journey and set sail from Southampton on August 15th aboard two vessels, the Speedwell and the Mayflower. Barely out of sight of the shoreline, the Speedwell began to leak, however, and when timely repairs could not be made, the Mayflower gathered both ship’s passengers and sailed alone for the shores of North America.

History has been kind to the Mayflower while effectively ignoring the Speedwell’s contribution to the journey of the Pilgrims. And perhaps a lesson can be learned from that because it is not in the beginning of any effort that honor is given but in its completion. David wrote, “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me” and Paul penned “He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion.” We don’t take note of the star marathon runner who drops out of a race for whatever the reason but stories abound of those who cross the finish line hours after others because of their dogged determination to finish what they began.

In many ways, beginning is the easy part; finishing the journey is what takes heart, character, and commitment. We’re each on a journey; and finishing strong has to be the goal we set for ourselves. The Speedwell is unknown to the vast majority of us for one very simple reason: it didn’t finish the journey it began. Maybe it’s time to plug up some leaks; deal with some things that we know deep down will eventually catch up with us; and continue on in our journey of faith with a renewed determination to grow into the man or woman God has called us to be.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church