Knitted

Introduction

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.[1]”

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.[2]”

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.[3]”

“ For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.[4]”

In 2023 I painted an image of a baby. The painting represented God’s knowing of each person on earth. The verses above are relevant verses when God prompted me to paint this. I’ve always focused on the ‘purpose’ aspect of God’s knowing of us. Especially with regards to wanting direction for my life. However recently the Holy Spirit started to give me revelation on the other aspect of God knowing us. That is the aspect of ‘frame’.  In this blog I write about how God knows our frame as mentioned in Psalm 103: 14.

 

The Painting

 

I painted ‘Knitted’ in 2023 when God kept speaking to me about God’s plans and purposes for His created ones, i.e. every person alive on the earth.

 I posted it on social media a week ago. Below is an excerpt from that post. 

 

When I think of Psalm 139: 13, and how God knits us in our mother’s womb I think about it alongside Psalm 103: 14.

I think of how our “frame” is both the physical body and our soul – things like personality, the way we think, our knowledge etc. And of course, our spirit, the part of us that communicates with God. That frame, God knows.

 

 When choosing this painting to post on social media I didn’t have any promptings or spiritual experience. I thought to post it because it was one of the small paintings I had that was not tucked away with my many other paintings from past years. It also made sense to post it because it closely related to the previous blog post of ‘Cost of Obedience’. Just like how God used my random doodles to speak to me, this was yet another one of those times where He used a painting that I didn’t think too deep into, to speak to me. To be more specific God made me walk out and gain insight into the words I wrote.  I’m constantly fascinated when I see God directing my steps – especially when I don’t realise that I’m being directed by Him.

“The steps of a man are established by the LORD; And He delights in his way.[5]”  

My focus when I looked at the painting was on “purpose”.  In answering the existential question of why we are put on this planet, I pointed out that God is the only one that can answer it as He is the one that holds the blueprint to each person, knows the specifications of each person, and that if we are seeking answers, we should be asking our Creator. Understanding “purpose” has made life a lot easier as I like knowing where I’m going. It doesn’t have to be every single detail, but I like to know at least the direction of my life.

Frame

 Today, I want to look at another aspect of this painting.  Frame.

I want to look at “frame’’ in terms of personality, way we think, our passions, dreams desires, etc.  

I am someone who loves to have new experiences, meet new people, and am adventurous in general.  Working from home where my best friends are my sisters has its ups. The highs of visiting waterfalls on a random Tuesday. Going to the beach on a Thursday afternoon with your best friends. Able to work on paintings any time – including the 2ams, 3ams and 4ams. I treasure those so much and am fully aware of how blessed I am. In fact, I used to pray for times like these. Surrounded by family and being able to work for hours on things I love. So, for that I thank God for His grace and provision in this season.

My sisters think I’m an extrovert, even though I deny it because I know I’m an ambivert. Either way, there were parts of my extroverted side that needed to talk to other people outside my precious small close knit friend group. I wanted to have small talk with people I didn’t know. It’s fun to hear about others' experiences especially ones you’ve never met before. There were also a few other things that I was praying to God about that would constitute part of my “frame”. Things I’m passionate about and love. I write these because God came through in a way that I did not expect.

Seeing and Dreaming  

Few days ago, before bed, I kept seeing palm trees and coconut trees. Then in a dream I saw myself at a table and there were school aged kids in front of and around me. The next day I saw coconut trees again. Then I dreamt that I was with people I didn’t know.  It was like one quick frame of a movie or memory that I didn’t recognise. In that dream a thought and a feeling occurred (as you would have in dreams where it does not make sense- you can’t explain but you get the vibe or the general feeling). Ocean, trees, kids’ noises, just glimpses of a memory of someone I didn’t know. When I woke up from those dreams, I knew it had to do with the future, but I thought it was some future far away.  My instinct was to put an interpretaion on it. In hindsight, I was obviously wrong both in the interpretation and timeline of it.

Walking it Out

Fast forward to yesterday. My sisters and I had an unplanned trip to Cairns.  The original plan was something completely different but due to unforeseen circumstances we could no longer go ahead with the plan of the day. So off we went to Cairns.  I slept on the way and when I woke up, we were parked in front of the Cairns Art Society Gallery. My sisters wanted to visit the dessert place across the road from where we were parked. I could see palm trees and coconut tree paintings in that art gallery and recognised it as images from things I was seeing in the days prior. So, my sisters and I parted ways as they went towards the dessert place while I took a detour and went on to look at art.

The art gallery had sixteen art residents that display their artwork. I spent a while there. Every artist had their unique style. It’s like I could see different personalities while walking past each wall section of each artist. I loved it.  Had a conversation with an artist that was in the process of painting her new artwork. I asked her a lot of questions regarding her work because I felt like I could hear the stream of water in her painting.  I suppose that’s what art can do to you. When you look at whatever image shown on the canvas you feel transported to that time and place.  Another artist had a dreamy feel to her work. Her use of colour in her sea painting was gentle. I again felt like I could hear the birds and ocean waves in the painting. After spending possibly an hour in there I walked towards Cairns Art Gallery.  At the pedestrian traffic lights I could see the gallery. It had large signs of the artist work shown. The idea of seeing weavings of baskets did not excite me so I was going to walk in and walk out quickly. Little did I know I was going to spend a lot longer in there (it’s amusing looking back now).  As I stepped into the gallery I saw hyper realistic paintings of tropical palm themed paintings. Walking through the gallery, I finally stopped in front of a large painting of a coconut tree. It was the exact image of what God was showing me few nights before.

The rest of the day’s events happened the way I saw and dreamt. I went to the library after the gallery where I did some sketches at one of the tables. There were school aged kids in the library as well (like in the dream- even though I did not pick up that it was a library in the dream).  I stayed in the library till it closed and went to the esplanade to wait for my sisters to pick me up. While walking the esplanade I saw people in my previous workplace’s uniform playing volleyball. Most of them were employees that joined after I had left that company. One of them was someone I knew from my time at that company, so after we had a chat, he invited me to join them in volleyball (this was part of the dream where I was with people I did not know). I remember distinctly a thought/feeling I had in the dream that I later had in real life while playing volleyball.  That was most definitely one of those jarring moments for me when I made the connection hours later.

It was later that night on the way home that I realised that every event of that day – God had let me take a glimpse of days prior.  By glimpse I mean, I did not know the locations or specific details yet when it came to pass, I knew exactly which part of the dream it was from. It was a wonder to me because the whole day every event felt like a result of random thoughts, accidental encounters and coincidences. Yet every part of that day God had already seen and planned out.  Including passing thoughts and feelings that you don’t take seriously.  Like how days before I was wondering whether I still liked playing volleyball as I hadn’t played in years. God must’ve seen that thought because that question was answered the day, I played volleyball. Apparently, I still enjoy playing volleyball.

Sign and a Wonder

When I see how God allowed me to peep into the future, I see it as a sign and a wonder that God knows our frame. I believe that He allowed me this experience so that I know that He knows me. He knows my uprising and my down sitting; He knows my thoughts from afar off. He knows a thought before I even think it, and He knows the words I will utter before I say them[6]. How close and personal is God!

Closeness of God

Psalm 139 captures this whole thing so beautifully. How intimately God knows our frame. It is a sign and a wonder that He knew of every second and what those seconds entailed. He knew what my soul needed. He knew it all. This is so important to remember in the days when we feel like we’re praying to deaf ears, or that our silent screams in the nights are vanity.

“Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
 even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you[7].

Even the darkness is as light to God. That even in our darkest nights, God sees us so clearly. Even when we feel like we’ve reached the end, God knows us and our frame. If I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me. That He will direct our steps even when we feel like we've reached the end of the world. 

If the Bible says that all our tears are captured in bottles, and that God is close to the broken hearted, He truly sees our every second. He knows our frame. He knows your personality. He knows your likes, dislikes, every attribute that constitutes “you”, He knows fully. Even thoughts that are to be thought out by you few days from now or years from now, He sees it like it’s His present. God is outside time and space. So, remember that every word you utter to God He knows.

Importance of Fellowship with God

Seeing how things panned out, it is evident that Holy Spirit tells us the future.

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” [8]

How beautiful that the Word of God is alive and active[9]. However, it is important to know that our mind must be renewed every day by the Word of God. Going after signs and wonders or “fleece” as Christian lingo calls it, is not wise. Instead, be so grounded in the Word of God that you know His character.  Spending time reading His Word is one of the foundational most important things to do in knowing Him.  Spending time with Him teaches us to hear His voice more clearly. Learning His character and attributes through the Bible gives us the ability to discern the real and the counterfeit. God’s Word gives us discernment when distinguishing thoughts and intents of the heart.

Conclusion

God knows our ‘frame’. He knows our attributes and characteristics intimately. He is All-Knowing yet so close and personal. May you be blessed knowing that there is never a moment in your life where God is not close enough to hear you.