"The Hidden Treasures page is my favorite because
I love the Word of God." ~ Annie
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"Did you know that if you look carefully in anyone of my paintings you will find a scripture reference from the Bible hiding somewhere in the leaves, or on a pot or flower? The hidden verses are my favorite part of every image. I started this early on when I began painting. It was my very good friend Shelley who gave me the idea as I wanted so much to find a special way to honor God in my artwork.
I didn't want my artwork to be just another pretty painting to put on a wall. I desired for it to be something much more than that. So, I put this hidden treasure within the artwork, and I pray that when found, it will draw the viewer into God's Word, the Bible, and that this person would come to know Him. I love to think that possibly someone out there is opening the Bible for the first time ever because they've found the scripture in my painting! And I love to think too, that the scripture found will draw the long time believer closer to the Savior.
Each verse from God’s Word, that I hide in my paintings, is like a treasure that must be found. Proverb 2:4,5 says about the Lord’s wisdom, “if you look for it as for silver, and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.”
Here is one of my earlier paintings and the scripture that is hidden in it. With it, I share with you what the verse means to me. I pray it encourages you."
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Topiary Tree
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; it has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7,8
This scripture says that happy and blissful is the one who counts on and depends on the Lord, and whose assurance and certainty are on Jesus alone. The passage goes on to say that the person who does this will be just like a tree that is planted by the water. This tree is grounded and rooted by the stream of water. The water is it's food and nourishment. The water is life giving, thirst quenching, refreshing, cleansing, and satisfying. The verse goes on to say that this is tree has no worry or fear at all. It will always grow fruit.
I have put the reference to this scripture in more than one painting because I love it so much. In fact this scripture was one of the first I ever hid in a painting back when I first started “tucking” a reference from the Word into each piece of art. I love this truth because it is very real for those who learn to daily rely on God. The verse brings to my mind peaceful walks I take when I visit Mount Hermon Conference Center in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I like to hike down to the creek where there are many, many trees like the one we read about in Jeremiah 17:7,8. These great evergreens are tall and strong and have stood firm through all kinds of weather.
More than anything I want to be like this tree that the scripture speaks of. Don’t you? We can become joyful and content as we plant ourselves by the Living Water, Jesus. Jesus said,” If anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37,38 We must not only be planted by the water but we must “send out our roots” by tapping into the Word of God, by spending time with God in prayer, and by fixing my thoughts toward him continually throughout our day.
When Jesus instructs us to “abide” in him from the Bible, in verse John 15:5, that means more than to touch base with him at church on Sunday morning. This is what Jesus said. “I am the Vine; you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him will bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NASV
Right next to this John 15:5 scripture in my Bible I have a list of many other words that describe “abide”. Some of the words listed are - remain; cling; continue; dwell; endure; inhabit; keep on; last; linger; live; lodge; persist; reside; rest in; sit tight; stay put. In this verse, Jesus is calling us to be a branch, and to stay attached to Him, the Vine. Just like the tree from Jeremiah 17:7,8 He is instructing you and I to be grounded, rooted, stationed, fixed and attached to Him, and in his own words Jesus cautions us that apart from Him we can do nothing.
Though life can be so complex for you and I, God’s call to us is simple. He says to trust Him and count on Him. He promises that when we stay very close to Him, He will stay very, very close to us. When we do this, His words say that we will be joyful and confident and strong even when life is hard. Then God’s final pledge to us in these two wonderful scriptures is that our life will blossom and be fruitful as we stay attached and rooted in Him.
"Heavenly Father, I want to be as close as I can to You. Help me Lord, to be like the tree growing strong by the stream. Show me Jesus how to stay ever-attached to You, the True Vine. Make me into one who walks closely and grows steadily by your side. Let my roots go down deep into You and your Word. Thank you, God that you never leave me or forget about me. I praise you for being the Only True God, Almighty and Good. Help me to stay attached to you as I walk through this day. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."
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| "Single Sphere Topiary" |
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