I am writing this article to share a supernatural experience I had, and the fascinating twists and turns that happened as I acted on it. I want to encourage readers in their own spiritual walk, especially in the area of receiving visions and dreams and seeking help from the Lord in interpretation of them, and moving forward in obedience in response to them. This has been an exciting process for me!
I have known a man for some 27 years. Let me call him Matthew. It’s not his real name, but you will see from this article why I adopt this name for him!
Over the years, we have had many a dinner together, participated in each other’s wedding ceremonies and sat outside on the patio by the chimney and pondered life’s mysteries, shared hearty laughter, tears, and a glass of wine or two.
In recent times Matthew has been struggling financially and emotionally, seeking answers from God, and having difficulty finding them. He has had some physical challenges, as well as family pressures and estrangements.
My family and I were helping Matthew, and praying to God for his needs and provision. We would call him every day to stay in touch, and have had him over as much as possible, for fellowship and dinner. Hoping that having a date on the calendar for dinner with us would be something he could look forward to, and keep his spirit up.
It was during this time—late Fall 2010-- that Matthew asked me if I would paint a picture for him! I have done some artistic creations in the past, but I really have never considered my skills at painting much of anything but a personal distraction. However, I agreed happily, as I consider him my life-long friend. And I saw that it pleased him very much.
Throughout these many years I have seen God provide for him in many ways and during different circumstances. My faith was that “Jehovah Jireh,” God his provider, would indeed answer. Matthew has always looked to the God of his faith as the means by which he would be sustained. And I have seen God provide for him time and time again.
I sought advice from the Holy Spirit about what type of painting I should do for Matthew. I certainly wanted it to be something that would inspire him and refresh his memory of God’s faithfulness to him. This was an important time in our friendship, and I needed God to inspire me.
A couple of days later I had a vision from the Holy Spirit! At this point, things started to get very interesting!
It happened in the morning one day. I was awake, and in a reasonably relaxed mental state. I’m not exactly sure whether it was an open vision or a pictorial impression in my mind, but it was as clear as day.
It was an image of two hands in the water. One hand held a fish by the gills, and the other was taking a coin out of the fish’s mouth! Immediately, I remembered the passage in Matthew 17:24-27, when Jesus told Peter to go fishing, something Peter did for a living, and that the first fish Peter would catch would have a coin in its mouth. That coin would be the provision needed to pay the tax required of both of them!
OK, you now see why I used the name “Matthew” for my friend!
I do not paint on canvas often. Painting artistically does not come easily for me. If I can see images in my head, “maybe” I can paint them. If I can’t see them, then I don’t paint.
Fascinated by all this, I sought direction from the Holy Spirit on what to do about the vision! I began to sketch it out in pencil on a canvas. Hours passed, and little by little I saw and heard in my spirit what it was that I should paint.
The images for the painting came in this order:
1. Two hands, one taking coin from mouth of fish.
2. The condition of the water, rippling out from the fish.
3. The word PROVISION up the left side of canvas
4. Another smaller fish at the top of the painting in a side view, with musical symbols coming out its mouth like bubbles. (Matthew is a gifted musician.)
5. The actual coin Peter found in fish’s mouth. The tetradrachm
6. The numbers 3, 6 and 4, arranged in a triangle around the main portion of fish and hands.
7. The verse, “Blessed be the name of the Lord,” scrolled around the left hand.
I mean, this was pretty interesting, right? It was like an out-of-body experience. My drawing hand was being seemingly guided by an unseen force. I believe I know what the force was!
Time passed -- maybe an hour or so. Then something else strange happened: a word from the Lord came to me again, and this time He said “Will it thrive?- Ezekiel 17”. Well, I looked it up and sure enough there was that phrase several times in that chapter!
8. Will it thrive?
9. The words allegory and parable
10. The bible verse Matthew 17:27 as the main inspiration
11. Then I was inspired to put motion to the tetradrachm, and penciled spiral lines going out from the coin in all directions.
This was the first step in obedience to the Holy Spirit, believing that the inspiration I was receiving was real and that I was to act upon it. My love for my friend Matthew, and my awareness of his circumstances, encouraged me to believe that God would provide for me also, in the vision I needed to paint for him.
The sketch of my vision appears below. But this is just the beginning of the story. The matter then becomes, how does this turn into a painting? I hope to share that with you in a second installment.
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