Offer God What You Have - Bible Journaling

You don’t need a ton of special supplies to do Bible Journaling.

When I first started doing this, all I had were a few bottles of WalMart’s cheapest acrylic paints, a couple of rolls of pretty washi tape and a black pen or two.

So when I did this verse – Gen. 22:8 – I used what I had. No skills in drawing, but I could scribble a sheep over a blob of white paint. And I made one of my very first entries. God will provide a lamb.

I had spent time meditating on the scripture in a new way. I felt I understood the story a bit better. But over the past year, my understanding has grown. And so have my Bible Journaling skills. (and supplies)

In this scripture, God has asked Abraham to give Him the thing Abe holds the most precious: his son. Abe agrees to go forward with the sacrifice, even telling his son that God will provide the Lamb when the boy asks. Of course, God doesn’t disappoint. In fact, He sent a ram – a greater sacrifice than a small lamb. See, it’s all part of my February theme of God’s Special Deliveries.

But look a bit closer. Look at all the things that had to happen at just the right time for this story to work. The key being this: God sent a ram on a hike up just the right trail at just the right moment so it would encounter just the right bush that had grown to just the right size to snare the ram. It defies all logic and odds, doesn’t it?

As my understanding of this story grew, I wanted to do more in my Bible. But I didn’t want to cover what I’d done before (like I did last week with my Noah story). I wanted a 2nd entry that would contrast my growth.

This time I had new paint techniques (scraping it on with a blade). I used a small tag at the top to double as a tab. I glued on paper and foam letters. And since I was on the facing page, I added an arrow to point the way back. I put the clock to remind me of God’s perfect timing and some acrylic dots just for fun.

My journaling style has changed in the year that I’ve been doing this. But I know that God doesn’t look at that. He is looking at my heart. Am I willing to give Him EVERYTHING I have? That’s all He really wants. I may not have everything I’m going to need when it’s really crunch time. But God already has things in motion so that it will work out. I just have to do my part and get to where I’m supposed to be.

That leads me to next week’s post: God sent a fish.

Action Plan: What are you holding back? Is there a part of you or your life that has been off-limits to God? He only wants the best for you, so what are you afraid of? He can’t ask more of you than He was willing to give. Take a moment. Pray about it. Give it up. He will bless you beyond measure when you are willing to give Him the keys to everything. If it seems scary to you, drop me an email and tell me how I can pray for you.