Bitter/Sweet

Today I’m doing an analysis of a painting I love. I can only hope that it will live up to Mr. Bean’s analysis of the “Whistler's Mother” painting.

Look at that!!!

It’s a painting that represents Christ and His bride (the called out ones). Some, at this point, would say “Jesus wasn’t white. He was black.” I believe He looked like an Arabian dude. But that honestly doesn’t matter to me. Even if He was blue with yellow stripes, He’d still be the amazing person that He is. However, I do get the point of cultural representation. We need more races in paintings.

For me, one of the most beautiful aspects of this painting (and I’m getting very close to the end now) is the way the bride has her eyes closed and chin up. It signifies absolute trust and comfort in her lover. When you don’t trust someone, you always keep one eye open. You don’t look away. When your soul is uncomfortable, it will reflect in your body language. You’ll be very rigid. She’s very comfortable with Him so her body is relaxed. Maybe she started out not trusting Him so much but now she just let herself go.

Hebrews 11:5-6 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Can you see the love being expressed by Jesus in the painting? He also let Himself go. Trust/faith in someone is very expensive. When God falls in love, He really falls in love. It’s over!!! He could give you everything. For example…

Joshua 10:12-14 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!

“Why would someone have trust issues with God? He’s perfect.” You may ask.

Well, these were some of the closest people to God in the Bible…

Ruth 1:3 Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons… (4) And after they had lived in Moab about ten years, (5) both Mahlon and Chilion also died… (19) … When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women of the city exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” (20) “Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me. (21) I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”

2 Samuel 16:11 Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son, my own flesh and blood, seeks my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone and let him curse me, for the LORD has told him so…”

Matthew 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

There is a real bitterness that God can put you through if you choose to walk with Him. You’re going to suffer anyway, so it’s better to fellowship with Christ in His suffering. Don’t suffer a useless worldly suffering, gaining nothing.

Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death

That bitterness isn’t the bitterness of this verse…

Hebrews 12:15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

This verse is Satan’s bitterness. A root that grows into a tree of death. God’s bitterness is the garden knife He uses to shape the tree of life you already are.

John 15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Psalm 1:3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

Genesis 39:3-4 When his master saw that the LORD was with him and made him prosper in all he did, Joseph found favour in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.

A lot of my writings end up sad. That wasn’t even the plan for this one because right now I’m in an alright place happiness wise though like a quarter of the last 3 years has been darkness. But still I know that there is suffering ahead. If you’re truly walking with God, there has to be suffering, but also joy. A season for everything.

Acts 20:22-23 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.

How does this relate to the painting? The only way the bride got to that level of joy and trust, according to the Bible, was through suffering.

1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Personal testimony? Why not... It was 2018, I was sitting at the dining table when for the first time I doubted if I actually wanted to continue on this journey. I was really tired… of everything. I just wanted to be normal again. What kept me going was I needed to know why I was here. I need to know why I’m here. So tomorrow, just like every other day I’m going to meditate and read or listen to some truth from the Bible itself or from a teacher or prophet or whoever, until one day I can stand in the courts of God in all humility and love and ask “Why?”