One Little Torn and Spotted Leaf

Golden Tree Delight by Dee Kamp

 

One Little Torn and Spotted Leaf

There is music, there is Scripture and there is this weeping view of God’s majesty all before me on my big screen television. The camera zooms through deep forests then dizzily sweeping over fields of beautiful wild flowers.  I am thrilled with the grand beauty of it all. That is until the camera draws closer and closer to focus on one torn and spotted leaf.

What on earth? I wait for the camera to continue on for more lovely views, but to my amazement all one sees is a not so perfect leaf. Why this leaf? It has spots and something has chewed along one side of it. The little leaf is flawed and not one bit lovely at all. Then I sense God wanting me to understand something bigger― but what?

That’s when I hear Him whisper in my heart, “You focus on the one thing you feel is wrong with you and others too much, too long. You look on faults and failures in one place, but I see beauty. I see more than one leaf I see the whole beautiful tree.”

 

“To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,

a joyous blessing instead of mourning,

festive praise instead of despair.

In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks

that the LORD has planted for his own glory.”

Isaiah 71:3 NLT

 

In John 17:13 Jesus’ prayed his disciples would experience the full measure of His joy. Jesus’ joy has a divine purpose: to reveal Himself to the world. He desires to fill us with His overflowing love and joy to proclaim His victory to world over all our sins.

We are forgiven and unconditionally loved by our Father who sees us perfected and beautiful through His Son

Jesus never focuses on our faults or failures but on our hearts and all the beautiful, joyful possibilities we will enjoy in our life through Him.

Not one little spotted and torn leaf are we,

But a beautiful full leafed tree.

We are planted by His love and set free,

To grow in great joy for God’s glory

 

“One Little Torn and Spotted Leaf” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© November 25, 2013