The Brush Removed from the Hand

When I was a student, I had an extraordinary experience. Perhaps you are familiar with the name of the painter Steinhausen, that gifted artist who has glorified the living God throughout his life with his artwork. You can probably imagine that it was a huge honor for me as a twelfth-grader to visit this artist.
I admittedly came to him in a very painful moment. At that time, Steinhausen was about to complete his greatest work of life. A stroke had befallen him and paralyzed his right arm. Imagine for a moment: There lay a man full of bold and rich plans, but he could not carry them out because his hand was paralyzed.
Somewhat embarrassed, I stammered my condolences when I came to him. Then this man made a statement, the greatness of which only became clear to me much later. “Look,” he said to me, “until now I have painted pictures to God's glory. Now God has taken the brush out of my hand so that He may make of me a picture to His glory.”

At that time, I did not understand much about God’s guidance. But I still remember how overwhelming it was for me that a man who had to suffer such deep affliction was not grumbling, was not gritting his teeth, and had not become bitter in his grief. No, he saw a hidden blessing in this suffering.

This is something new and completely inconceivable for us: when God leads us into the depths of suffering, then He has a blessing in store for us.

There can be nothing more important to us than the fact that with our hearts and lives we are coming ever closer to God, that we come home from the unrest and alienation, to the heart of our God. Let us therefore not be so concerned about our worries and sadness. Do we not sense that from the darkness that surrounds us, an unspeakably faithful Shepherd’s voice shouts: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness I have drawn you” (Jeremiah 31:3).
We should now have only one concern, namely, that the full blessing of our tribulation will be given to us. Going through sorrow is difficult, but to not draw closer to Jesus, that is terrible. What an overwhelming blessing could flow from the stream of suffering, if we only dared to lift our hearts to Him who alone can bring things to right and heal!

I was still very young when my father died. It was a period of deep inner and external distress for us all. During that time, I had the opportunity to travel to southern Germany with my mother. During our stay there we visited some magnificent castle grounds. There we saw a huge beech tree lying on the ground. Ivy had overgrown it, and, of course, fallen into the dust with the falling beech. My mother sadly said to me: “Look, this is how it is for me. I was allowed to grow up like a vine around your Father. Now that he has fallen, I am also lying on the ground.”

Suddenly, alarmed, she cried out, “Oh, what am I saying? I can climb up on the Savior!”
I understood it very clearly then: This Jesus must be  an incredible Savior to be able to offer such strength and power in deep sadness!

Are you stumbling or are you already lying on the ground? Hold on to Jesus!

J.B.