July 31, 2007

 

Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

 

--Isaiah 59:1-2

 

When Leonardo Da Vinci was painting the magnificent Lord’s Supper, he got into a bitter argument with a fellow painter.

 

Feeling that he was mistreated, Da Vinci was determined to get back as this coworker. So when it came time to paint the face of Judas Iscariot, Da Vinci painted the face of that painter on the face of the betrayer.

 

Da Vinci was pretty proud of himself until it came time to paint the face of the Lord Jesus. Because when he tried to paint it, he had an artistic block. He couldn’t draw the face of Jesus!

 

The great Da Vinci was so consumed by his hatred and revenge that it wasn’t until he erased the face of the painter in the face of Judas and asked God to forgive him that he was able to paint the face of Christ in the Last Supper.

 

This is such a vivid picture of what bitterness will do to your relationship with Christ. It will color and contaminate it!

 

You cannot have a growing relationship with Jesus Christ if you are in bondage spiritually to bitterness. It will be impossible to pray. It will be impossible to worship. It will be impossible to witness. And it will be impossible to serve God effectively.

 

So if you have resentment in your heart today or are holding on to your hostilities, let them go. If you do, you will find your relationship with Christ will become deeper and sweeter than you have ever experienced before.

 

bitterness will color and contaminate your relationship with christ.