Find Abba.
- Elise Ehrenholz
- Jan 15
- 4 min read
I normally don’t do requests for paintings because it often just doesn't come out right, but I made an exception with my latest piece shown above. I always want my art to feel authentic with a deeper meaning behind it. I want it to have impact for me and for the person who is receiving it. It needs to have an echo of what I felt like when I painted it. It needs to reverberate with the word I get for it, something that bypasses all preconceived ideas, getting right to the spirit and soul. I want it to encourage. I want it to feel like love and connection. This one does all of those things. It's all about the adoring love of God for us, all about the love of a good good Daddy. He is the central figure and is looking down into the face of His child who is lovingly returning His gaze. The figures are close, hardly any space between them. Not only is there a sense of safety here, but overwhelming care. This is what happens when we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Saviour, all distance is removed and we are welcomed into the embrace of pure love of our Abba Father. I can tell you this is a true experience. What a strange thing it is, that it's entirely up to us how close we get to God. He is always waiting for us to run into His arms. What a profound gift the Presence of God is, transcending everything superficial, getting right to the essence of who we are as created beings. Kari Jobe sang it so well in her song, “First Love”, with her lyrics “Your love is wild for me.” These figures in the painting are standing in a garden surrounded by all the flowers one can imagine, and a sense of calm and rest envelops them. The sunlight? Perfection. There are no worries here, just peace. Thinking about it makes me feel like I'm in that moment for myself and a deep breath rises in my chest. How true it is that God has a neverending love for us. What a comfort this is to me not only in everyday life, but in the face of the world turning on its head.
Big change is coming. I can see it with my eyes, hear it with my ears, and feel that shift in my spirit. I never want to be a person who alarms and causes fear and at the same time I want you to be ready. Mostly God speaks to me through dreams, but sometimes He speaks to me in that place between waking and sleeping, sharing with me things that are more than just metaphors. I know it sounds a little hard to accept, but if you can, do. On holiday last year I was shown in my mind's eye a picture of three huge waves. When I entirely woke up I immediately checked the news to see what had happened. It was the day air passengers worldwide were faced with a massive IT outage delaying air passengers everywhere and causing other related problems. Immediately I knew in a way that only God can reveal to a person, that this was related to the twilight moment I had just experienced. I believe He was showing me that there are waves of disruption coming on this same scale, to be specific, three. I believe that the second one will be the biggest disruption, but all three will be enormous, for these waves that I saw were not tiny ones lapping on the beach, but huge, like one might experience during a squall on an open sea. What does a person do with that? First of all, do not panic, but plan. This is what I do when I have an overwhelming amount of work to do, I make the best plan I can and then execute it. The basic first thing to do is, to plan for emergencies, like physical power outages, etc. I want to encourage you though that God has a way forward for your unique circumstances so it is very important that you ask Him how to navigate the waters of this perfect storm. He is very practical and wants to show you exactly what you are to do. Ask Him for His wisdom, it's the best there is. What is the encouragement then in this time when the world is going to shake? I think it's this. Jesus is no stranger to storms and that when He is in our boat, the water of even the biggest squall will not overwhelm us. He knows who He is and when we put our hand in the hand of the Man from Galilee, He will always take care of us. Get as close as you can to God, for there is nothing in this world like hearing Him for yourself. It will embolden you, storms be damned, and you will step out upon the water.
And I feel like God is saying today, “It's time to steady yourself in Jesus.”
"Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." - Psalm 55:22 (NKJV).
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, ‘Rejoice!’ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:4-7 (NKJV Spirit Filled Life Bible).
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You.” – Isaiah 26:3.
If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”- Romans 10:9-10
Keep stretching your hands out to God dear hearts. Pour your heart out like a waterfall to Him. The road has surely been rough, but we are mighty in Him. Praise you Jesus. You did it all.
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