The Picture


Eph 2:20  He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, 
fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone 
Eph 2:21  that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day--a holy 
temple built by God, 
Eph 2:22  all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home. 

	I remember this one special picture in my grandparents' home. It was a painting 
of an old man and a Bible. I've since found that it is quite popular, as I've noticed it in 
several other locations. For me, though, this picture is a special representation of my 
Grandma and Grandpa's house. Whenever I happen to come across a copy of it 
somewhere else, I am taken back to the atmosphere of their home. I remember the smells, 
the nick-knacks, the kitchen, and the other objects that occupied each room. Although not 
their house itself, for me that little picture holds a wealth of memories and identity to the 
home that was a part of my childhood. It might have always been a wonderful picture on 
its own, but when it took its place on my grandparents' wall, it became not just a wall 
ornament, but also an identifying part of a much larger structure. 

	God has created and formed us each one as a special representation and 
expression of Him- His sights, His sounds and all the other objects in His home. Though 
each one of us has the common foundational element of Christ Himself, there is a unique 
expression of Him in each of us that sets us apart somehow from every other expression. 
It would be very possible to just be occupied with our part and the wonderful life that He 
has given us to live in Him. As wonderful as this might be, it would never be the 
fulfillment of the true purpose for which we were created. We are each a place of His 
habitation, but our true purpose and potential are fulfilled when we take our place on the 
wall of a much larger structure. When this wonderful relationship we have with the 
Almighty Creator is placed among the many other objects of His choosing, "all of us are 
built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home." 

	The picture in Grandma and Grandpa's house was a beautiful artistic creation, but 
for me it was something more- it was their home. As we continue to be formed in the 
hands of our Master, we are each one a beautiful artistic expression of our Father. 
However, when our place is found among all the other works of art, we become 
something much more- we become His very home. Our purpose is much greater than just 
fitting into our own little picture frame. May it be that when we are seen, there is a way 
made to our Father's full gallery, and may the true beauty of His holiness be experienced 
in the completely furnished rooms of His temple. 



9/27/05