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 the painting. Actually,  stare at them. When you take time to actually observe, you see do 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 his paintings. You have to examine his work closely to find his little surprises. This particular paint was a mountain scene of 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 the rock were shapes of Indians. A few more minutes of observation revealed more  Indians behind the trees. Branches of pines became outlines of bows and arrows. Boulders turned into the angry faces of warriors. The more time I spent infront of the painting, the mire I discovered. And the more I discovered, the freTer 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 times you spend with Him, the more you will discover. And the more you discover, the greater your delight in Jesus.