I have always loved how God’s Word is so visual and leads the reader to not only hear it... but to see it as well. Some verses, of course, are more visual than others and Psalm 1 is a perfect example. We can all visualize a tree and we all know what leaves and fruit look like so we have a good place to start… but sometimes, as we take the time to meditate on a verse, God coaxes us to think outside the box… to “see" a little more than we did at first. I believe God often wants us to show us more than we're seeing and tell us more than we're hearing... if we will only take the time to hear His voice and see what He wants show us.
I love every time I have the opportunity to share with others about why my Psalm 1 illustration has been dubbed the “fruit cocktail” tree. In this Psalm God says we will bear fruit… and what came to mind as I pondered verse 3 was that we, as believers in Christ, bear the fruit of Spirit which we know is multi-faceted… love, peace, joy, and so much more. But we also bear the delightfully multi-colored fruit of our labor in respect to using our gifts, talents, and abilities for God’s glory. Because we are all created to be unique individuals, the fruit we bear through our good works will be as unique and varied as we are… therefore, a “fruit cocktail” tree.
Also, where this verse says "in everything we do, we prosper, I thought about what God’s perspective of prosperity might look like beyond financial gain or material blessing, and the imagery of the two birds and a nest came to mind. They symbolize the idea of our greatest prosperity being the spiritual heritage we pass down to our children, our neighbors, and so many others, through the fruit we bear and the lives we live.
So as you illustrate God's Word... whether in your Journaling Bible or a notebook... be encouraged to take the time to meditate on God’s Word and allow Him time to stir your heart and open your spiritual eyes to see more... and create outside the box.
And if drawing isn't your means of expression, I am delighted to share this Color-Your-Own Version of my Psalm One Tree in my Etsy shop here.
As you spend time coloring, allow your heart time to reflect on God's Word, the fruit of the Spirit, or your own fruitfulness. Consider how your talents, gifts, and abilities feed and nourish the people God has placed in your life and how their fruit feeds you as well.
Or... tuck a portion of the printed coloring sheet under a page in your Journaling Bible and use it as a Traceable! I'm already thinking of several verses it might work well with including Galatians 5:22... the fruit of the Spirit!
I hope this has been an encouragement to you... and may the Lord continue to bless you and coax you to think outside the box in your own creative worship time!
