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Any artist who paints knows that there is one color you never want to put in your painting and that is mud. Now this isn’t a color you can buy in a tube or jar, it is really a non-color, but actually what has been dubbed as “mud” when too many of the wrong colors have been mixed together and end up looking very much like it’s descriptive name.

With life, we also see that the temptation to mix a little lie with the truth can lead to trouble and muddy up our life. We read in Genesis 3:13 of how Satan tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. If you read it carefully, you’ll see that much of what he said to her was the truth. He just mixed in a little lie or two, and colored the truth with distortions. These lies mixed with the beauty of the fruit were just enough to convince Eve to sin. Jesus referred to Satan as the “father of lies” (John 8:44) and says that telling lies is consistent with who he is and always has been.

We continue to see evidence of the evil one’s influence in our society today. Unfortunately, too many Christians don’t know the truth well enough to spot a lie when it’s there. We may be so impressed with the beautiful color that has been painted that we buy into the lie.

In Psalm 7:14 it says, “the wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves”. One of the most frequently used methods of deception is repetition of a mistruth. Many businesses and organizations whose motives are less than honorable have used this technique effectively to influence large segments of our society. They have discovered that if they tell a lie often enough, loud enough and to enough people, it will be believed.

How can we best sort through all of the information that bombards our minds and souls every day? Is there any way we can truly find the truth about important moral, ethical and spiritual values? For centuries the Bible has been the one consistent source of truth that has withstood time, societal and cultural changes. In it we read that we can ask God to give us the gift of discernment to help us distinguish the truth from a lie. We also read that the author and finisher of our faith in God’s truth never changes, for it says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

As our plane approached LAX on the evening of our return from a vacation, a large number of passengers began making o-o-oh sounds. I glanced out my window and saw a most amazing and surprising sight – fireworks exploding everywhere for miles. It was an awesome and most interesting perspective of our nation’s birthday celebration for the 4th of July. Of course I have seen many fireworks displays over the year, but never from a heavenly perspective.

I couldn’t help but wonder at that point, what God thinks and feels as He looks down from His throne not only at the colorful splashes of glittering fireworks in California, but all across our nation’s skies. Does it make him joyous to see us celebrating our blessings and heritage or does He weep over the vain partying of a nation that has strayed so far from the faith it was founded on?

A week later, after sharing this experience with some Christian friends, they told us of a recent experience they’d had while on vacation in Belgium. It was not for the 4th, but for another most important event’s commemoration. Our friends, Larry and Beccy told us how they were in a restaurant with a large picture window near their table. Suddenly they began to see dozens of fireworks shooting into the sky. They learned that it was an annual celebration of the end of WWII. They also found out that at midnight the colorful display would end; the whole city would go totally dark and silent in reverent remembrance of all who lost their lives during that horrible war. Now that sounded like a well-balanced and meaningful commemoration.

We all like to celebrate and some of us look for the smallest reason to throw a party. I wonder, though, how much of what we do for holiday celebrations like Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter etc., actually expresses or produces appreciation and reverence for the true meanings.

The Israelites also had many festivals and feasts to commemorate Godly events in their lives. Often times they were also instructed by God to set markers of stone in certain places to help them remember His leading,blessing and protection. Sometimes they also built altars for sacrifice as commemoration. A friend of mine who endured terrible abuse all her life from her own mother, recently purchased a heart-shaped stone with words on it to help her remember God’s love and path for her life.

As tender creations, I believe all of humanity craves joyous reflecting on even the most horrendous events which have affected their lives. It gives them a sense of hope in the midst of sad remembrances. it sets a marker for a new and better path for the future. Do you need to set a marker of hope to look toward when trouble threatens to steal away your joy? Remember that our Lord has a godly perspective on things. Ask Him to give you His vision for you in the circumstances. Psalm 121:1-2 says: “I will lift up my eyes to the hills-from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

Painting Title: “Yellow Tree- a Bird’s Eye View”

Oh that we should ride on the strength of the Lord

Each and every day of our race.

Oh, that we would let His swift and powerful legs

Continue to set the pace.

Oh, that each day’s trumpet would

Open the gate and start us with great vigor,

And harnessed to Him ‘t would carry our spirits,

With all of His might and rigor.

Imagine the power intertwined as one

From the start of the gate till setting of sun.

Take off the weight of all that deters,

Let us not stumble on things that hinder

From the goal set before us our eyes fixed ahead,

We’ll make it someday if we follow where led.

Sometimes the horse,

Sometimes the rider,

Sometimes the dirt on the ground.

Whatever my lot, whatever my station,

I pray that my heart will be found

Eager to run,

Eager to follow,

The pull of His reins on my life.

And full of His strength

Not in the fodder,

I’ll run in the grace of each strife.

Carried to the finish and

Running for roses,

The race can never be won,

without perseverance,

Without some endurance,

Without His might and His Son.

Iris Carignan, 5/17/2015