A Unique, Beautiful Frame

 

“Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.”

—Psalm 16:5-6

When looking at a picture, do you notice the frame? The frame can either enhance or detract from the picture it holds. It can reflect as much beauty as the picture. I am convinced that our lives compare to frames. They get more ornate as the years add up and reflect the imagination of God the Creative Artist who fashions them.

As time works on us, our struggles bring out a rich patina to the metal. The trials and deadly effects of life add swirls and cut deep into the wood, adding carved designs to the frame. In the end, we realize that Romans 8:28 has become true for us:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Recently, in preparing to teach from 1 Samuel about Samuel’s mother, Hannah, I came across this quote about her:¹

When Hannah took a very young Samuel to Shiloh and knelt with him in worship before leaving him behind to serve the Lord all the days of his life, the frame around her words was her long history of infertility and persecution for her faith in God. Hannah knelt in prayer that day within the context of a relationship with God that had withstood the tests of time and adversity.

When we feel the effects of wear and tear on our bodies, or the scraping and carving of the knife on our emotions and heart, we must realize that God considers the unique, beautiful frame with which He has surrounded us.

Our prayers and our words of encouragement to others have been framed by those circumstances that God the Artist has allowed us to experience. The picture may not be completed yet. Nevertheless, along with the finished frame, that picture will sometime reveal a more beautiful piece of art than we have ever realized.

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1 James, Carolyn Custis. Lost Women of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing Company, 2005. p. 132.