What Is Being Painted On Your Canvas?

I was reading in 2 Kings and a phrase caught my attention.  It was one of those phrases that didn’t make a lot of sense at first.  In trying to figure it out, I looked at some cross references.  .

The original verse and the cross references painted a not so pretty picture.  But before I share that picture with you, it might be good to define what a cross reference is.  A cross reference is a notation that points to another passage that contains related words, themes or topics as the verse you are reading.

So here is the verse in 2 Kings:  “They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them.” (2 Ki 17:15)

The phrase that caught my attention:  “They went after false idols and became false…”  In the Bible I use, the following two verses are the cross references:

“What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?”  (Jer 2:5)

“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.” (Rom 1:21)

From these verses, it appears that what we go after, or turn to, has an impact on our lives.  Perhaps it could be said that what we go after, or turn to, rubs off on us.  Thus, when we go after, or turn to, false things, we typically become false ourselves.  When we go after, or turn to, worthless things, we typically become worthless ourselves. 

Another aspect of going after something or turning to something is that we normally leave or turn away from something. When we turn from God (cease honoring Him), our reasoning becomes futile.  We also become senseless and our hearts become darkened.

False, worthless, futile, and senseless…not a very pretty picture.

But, we don’t have to paint that picture.  And, if we did start painting it, we can stop, clear the canvas and paint a new one.

Part of how we do that is found in the context of the 2 Kings passage:  “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes…” (v.13).  

Another part is found in the context of the Jeremiah passage:  “I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me…” (v. 2).

A further part is found in the context of the Romans passage:  “who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (v. 18) and “they did not honor God…” (v. 21).

When we turn from evil, we are clearing the canvas of that not so pretty picture, the one that was painted using a palette with the colors of false, worthless, futile and senseless.

When we love God, follow Him and obey Him, we are painting on a canvas designed for a masterpiece, one that is painted using a palette with the colors of truth.