March 4, 2011

Yesterday was a busy day, but fun, we celebrated Dr. Sues' Read Across America' and had a party for part of the afternoon.  High school and grades 7 & 8 provide a party and activities for the lower grades and we top it off with prizes and cake.  After school I helped a student so she is ready for Monday and I have been assigned another student for a period, so my day is really full.  I came home and took a nap and then after we ate I went to Bible study at Cando.  It was really good.  Today i am home all day and I am looking forward to enjoying that.

These are really good thoughts and they help to explain what happens in our Bible study on Esther:

Take a Longer Look


"'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found
by you,' declares the Lord."

--Jeremiah 29:13-14

I love looking at paintings. Actually, I stare at them. When you take time to actually
observe, you see so much more.

The other day, I wheeled into a gallery and spotted a framed print by one of my
favorite artists, who is known for "hiding" secrets in her paintings. You have to
examine her work closely to find her little surprises. This particular print was
 a mountain scene of a trapper and his packhorse fording a river.

At first glance, it was just another Western picture, but the frightened look on
 the trapper's face clued me in that there was more to the painting than met the
 eye.  I wheeled closer. Camouflaged behind the rocks were shapes of Indians. A
few more minutes of observation revealed more Indians behind the trees. Branches
 of pine became outlines of bows and arrows. Boulders turned into the angry faces
of warriors. The more time I spent in front of the painting, the more I discovered.
And the more I discovered, the greater my delight with the painting. Finally, I
had found what the artist wanted me to see!

The point? The Master Artist wants you to discover the hidden treasures of His heart.
And that requires more than a passing glance.

So often we read Scripture in a one-dimensional way, never venturing beyond the
surface. God wants to surprise us with His Word, and so He invites us to look longer
and search harder. The more time you spend with Him, the more you will discover.
 And the more you discover, the greater your delight in Jesus.

Today, Lord, help me not to pass quickly over this devotional thought. Open my eyes
so that I can truly see what you want me to see.