Draw Me a Picture

 When a person gets saved, it's been envisioned like taking off an old worn coat and putting on a new garment like unto a clean white "robe of righteousness".

I am a visual person and have always asked the Lord to draw me a picture so that I can grasp the important lessons He has for me to understand.

Our gracious Lord accommodates my need for visuals and has always granted me mental pictures that are symbolic of the principles that words sometimes cannot convey or that I fail to understand from His perspective. 

Yeshua spoke in parables for similar effect to an audience of people in the culture of His day so that simple minds could grasp deep eternal principles.  

For me, one such mental picture came about when I was struggling with a sin stumble and feeling so dirty in my spirit.  

I got this moving picture of being on my Father's estate.  It was grand land with lots of room to roam around and so many exciting things to discover and enjoy.  On this estate was a place and a pig pen I was warned not to go near.  Of course the "child-me" was fascinated by that forbidden place.  

On this day, I was playing on the edge of that pig pen and low and behold, I fell in.  My robe got dirty and just then I heard my Father call to me from the big house. I couldn't go in and have him see me in my dirty robe, so I found a hose and started rinsing off all the yuck.

After I assured myself that my robe was clean enough, I went into the house and found Him waiting.  He looked me over and I thought I was "good enough", but then his face contorted and he began sniffing the air.

He looked at me and said, "were you playing by the pig pen?"  I knew I was busted.  I realized at that moment, nothing I could do would eliminate the stench of my sin in his nostrils.  But what could I do?

I confessed my sin, told him the whole story about having fallen in and how sorry I was for my disobedience.   I was ready to face the punishment.

To my surprise he told me to go to the closet and get a fresh clean robe with the parting words, "And don't go near that pig pen again."

In that visual experience much was learned that I carry in my heart and mind today:

There is a reason the pig pen is forbidden:

IT STINKS

Our Heavenly Father sees and knows all things:

STOP TRYING TO HIDE SIN

No matter how much we try to cleanse ourselves:

THE STENCH OF UNCONFESSED SIN REMAINS

Our Heavenly Father is gracious and forgiving:

HE IS THE ONE WHO CAN MAKE ALL THINGS NEW

I continue to ask for mental pictures to understand spiritual principles and my Lord continues to provide them.

If you struggle as I do sometimes, to understand God's ways, maybe its time to ask Him to "draw you a picture".  Just sayin'

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?