Cartoon Devotional by CluelessClay
Ephesians 1:15-23 really had me struggling to think of a suitable cartoon.. I kind of got the message that it is about thanksgiving and prayer, and drew this cartoon on giving thanks for the food!
Ephesians 1: 15-16 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”
Ephesians 1:9 “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment - to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.”
Ephesians 1:13 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,..”
Published in Shanghai Community Fellowship’s 24 August 2008 bulletin
Ephesians 1:4 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight”
Published in Shanghai Community Fellowship’s 17 August 2008 bulletin
God really has a plan for this blog.. as you can see, since July 2007, there has not been any update to this blog for the simple reason that I have not been drawing any cartoon. However, in July 2008, the English fellowship that I have been attending for 3 years (also the church that I was baptised in Shanghai) asked if I could draw cartoons for a year long sermon program on Ephesians.
It just so happened (does anything just happen?) that a sister in Christ who is on mission trip overseas requested that I buy some sermon CDs from Singapore. And guess what? I bought a series of sermons on Ephesians! Little did I know when buying them, that I would be listening to them, learning from the sermon CDs and drawing inspiration for my cartoons!
Now, pray for me that I can keep up the listening, keep up the drawing and that I can meet the weekly deadline for the cartoon to be published! Praise the Lord!
There is this guy, he finds the life he wanted on the blue path.. but after a while, it starts to spiral and he decided to take another path.. but this one soon turns into a big question mark.. life seems exasperating for him!
But human beings are limited.. and sometimes when I encounter such moments of exasperation, I like to think that all these curvy detours that we take are actually all part of fulfilling God’s purpose for us.
Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Illustrator tool used.. dash stroke and copy the blue path on the lower map, changed to orange color, delete some points and place over the original blue path!
During trying time, this song really speaks to me.
God will make the way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me.
No matter how old we are
No matter what stage of life we are in
O Lord, help us to move on and
move forward
not aimlessly, but to You
When at crossroads, we can take heart in
Jeremiah 29:11 ‘I know what I am planning for you,’ says the Lord.’I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.’
This cartoon is inspired by the following verses:
Deuteronomy 7:6 - For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.
The Lord is amazing in His love, cos everyone of us is special and loved by Him.
Psalm 145:9 - The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.
But that is true cos the Holy Spirit is given to all who believe and Jesus died for these people!
John 16:7 - Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.