I write about Stuff

“That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.’” — 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)

There’s something fascinating about watching an artist begin a new piece. At first, all you see are a few lines, a couple of shapes, maybe a splash of colour that doesn’t seem to belong anywhere. If you didn’t know better, you might think nothing meaningful was happening. But the artist sees the end long before the rest of us do. They know where the strokes are leading. They know what the blank canvas will become.

Our lives often feel like that unfinished canvas. We look at the scattered pieces — the disappointments, the delays, the unanswered questions, the unexpected turns — and we struggle to imagine how any of it could become something beautiful. We wonder if God has forgotten us or if the story has stalled.

But God sees what we cannot. God sees the whole picture, not just the early strokes. God sees the masterpiece in progress, even when all we see is a sketch.

Paul reminds us of this when he quotes Isaiah: “No eye has seen… what God has prepared for those who love him.” We don’t have the tools to imagine what God is shaping in us. We only see the beginning. God sees the end from the beginning.

That’s why Paul can say with confidence in Philippians 1:6 that God will finish the good work He started in us. Not might finish. Will finish. God doesn’t abandon projects halfway through. God doesn’t lose interest. God doesn’t give up when the lines look messy or the colours don’t make sense yet.

And even when life feels random or disconnected, God is weaving things together in ways we can’t yet see. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things — not some things, not the easy things — all things together for good for those who love Him. We may not understand how the pieces fit, but God does.

So instead of trying to make sense of the canvas while it’s still unfinished, Proverbs 3:5 invites us to trust. Trust the Artist. Trust the process. Trust that the One who began the work will bring it to completion.

You are not forgotten. You are not abandoned. You are not finished. You are a work in progress — and God is still painting.

And what will you do now?

Where do you see even the smallest brushstrokes of God’s work in your life right now?