In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth
Genesis 1:1 NKJV
When I read the words “God created” and I look at the world and the many different living things around me, I know our God is creative. He could have designed all the animals to be one kind. But instead, there is variety and creativity all around. God is an artist par excellence. No Sistine Chapel or sculpture comes close to what our God made for us in the world to enjoy.
“Then God Said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’” (Genesis 1:26. NKJV). I look at this verse and realize that every good thing in me reflects my God. So I have concluded that if God has a creative side, so do I, and I discovered it some thirteen years ago. It was quite an eye-opener for me to realize that I could make a card or scrapbook a page in an album when all my life I thought I did not possess one creative gene. In the past two years, this creativity has transferred to my spiritual life. Some of you may have heard of Bible art journaling or creative spiritual journaling. The first is creating art in a Bible, and the second is creating art in a journal. What do I create? Well, let me first say, I may have some of God’s creativity in me, but it’s very small, and I put much effort into what I do. That said, when I have my daily worship and read my Bible, I spend time meditating on what I have read and try to find a visual image that brings my thoughts to life.
For example, when I read, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1, NKJV), the image that came to mind was that of a mother hen protecting her baby chicks under her wings. What a comforting picture! My Father covers me with His wings when I abide with Him. I googled “mother hen and chicks,” found a drawing, printed it, colored it, and put it in my Bible by this verse.
When I read about the woman at the well, I knew I could not draw a waterpot. Again I googled what I needed and found the image of a beautiful black-and-white waterpot that I printed out, colored, cut out, and stuck in the wide margin of my Bible with my thoughts written next to it.
Using visual imagery in my Bible study time with God has deepened my relationship with Him. Now the words on the page are not just beautiful words, they are words of life – words I see reflected in my everyday life.
In His Presence ©2018 by General Conference Women’s Ministries Department