Timothy J. Pruitt's Blog, page 153

iPainting Playing With Her Babies

Don’t Nod Off

Genesis 4:16 (ESV)

16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Cain’s situation was so sad. While we know the mistakes were his own, we can certainly identify with making mistakes. We have all, in some way, messed up at one time. How many times has failure tempted us, towards the land of Nod?

I remember Bishop Livingston preaching about this years ago. Nod means wandering, and that’s where Cain chose to settle. It says it’s easy of Eden, which means pleasure. When you wander from God’s presence, it places us outside of the things that cause true pleasure. There may be some moments of fun, but true lasting pleasure can only be found in The Presence of God.

The interesting thing about Cain is, he named both his son and the city he built Enoch. Enoch means dedicated. We know that name from the descendant of Seth. Dedicated is usually a good thing, if you’re dedicated to the right things.

If you’re dedicated to the wrong things, no matter how hard you work at it, it’s still not right. Normally, you could describe someone who raised a family, and built a city as successful. Success doesn’t indicate that we are where we should be. Though none of us are perfect, we should be pursuing a closer relationship with God.

This was the primary difference between Abel and Cain. Abel brought the first fruits, and Cain brought as an afterthought. It says Cain brought in the process of time. In other words, he was pursuing success more so than God.

If you allow the pursuit of success to become more important than God, you sadly may obtain what you’re pursuing. The problem is, when you’re pursuing something you tend to eliminate things that are not part of your goal. In Cain’s case, that was faith, family, and true joy.

We may not all take the drastic route Cain did to get there, but when serving God isn’t part of your focus, I’m afraid you’ll find yourself in the land of Nod. Too often, you end up building there, and raising the next generation in a place far from the influence of God.

I would encourage you today to be vigilant in this day and age. One distraction can lead you on a journey no one wants to be a part of. Whatever you do, in this day and age, please don’t Nod off.

The wonderful thing is, since Cain built Enoch, another child was born, and another city was built. Christ came, not only to rescue the Abels, but to save the Cains. It’s why we rejoice when we see Moses, David, and Paul. God can transform a killer into a Prophet, a Psalmist, and an Apostle.

Cain may have nodded, Christ did not. Psalms said, when referring to protecting His people, He doesn’t slumber or sleep. At Gethsemane, while the Disciple’s eyelids were heavy, Christ was preparing a sacrifice. All had sinned from Adam, both Cain and Abel, Christ came to save all, and I’m so thankful He didn’t leave us to wander about in our sins.

iPainting Barry Fitzgerald

I loved watching him in so many movies. Barry Fitzgerald was an incredible actor.

Sketch Morning Duck

This little duck is up early on Monday ready to start a new day!

iPainting Super Nap

This is a digital pastel alla prima iPainting of Nicholas sleeping. I call it Super Nap.

Sketch The Archaeologist

The Archaeologist

iPainting Chess Evenly Matched

The Face Of The Bear

Among animals, the face of a bear is unique. It doesn’t look like a lion, a lamb, a cat, or a dog. It’s different from any animal you can name, and even in the family of bears, there are different bear faces.

Isn’t. it amazing, that God would so uniquely create things from a the small snowflake to the large bear, and beyond. Without even discussing the whales and creatures of the sea, there is uniqueness in every corner of creation.

While it’s amazing, it should not be surprising. The same God made you and I, billions of people over the course of history, and He didn’t use a cookie cutter. He speaks to each of us individually, and knows our own unique dreams and concerns. Siblings can have like dreams, but they are still different in so many ways.

God is a God of individuals, not just a God of groups. God didn’t speak to the nation, He spoke to the childless man and called him the father of many nations. God didn’t speak to the thousands in Egypt, He spoke to the man at the burning bush. He moved for thousands, but He moved for them as individuals.

God made us, and He cares for us. He knows our hearts, our hopes, and our concerns. He will heal the broken hearts, restore our hopes, and answer every concern. He sees your face, He made it. He knows how to dry our tears, as surely as He made the face of the bear.

Sketch Graphite Batman

I’ve been drawing for years, but this is the happiest I’ve been with one of my Batman drawings.

Heart, Brain, And Spine

Centuries before men formed theories of how the Earth hung in space, people still walked on its soil. Before people argued whether it was round or flat, seasons still changed. Before men orbited the moon, while they still dreamed of crossing the oceans, fish still fed the fishermen.

Today we can view Venice from our living room, order products from Paris online, and have food from California shipped to Atlanta. Yet for all of our knowledge, we are so anxious to prove how much we know. Leaders from every walk of life will tell you a secret, it’s not about having answers, but asking the right questions.

If you read history, some of the saddest people in the world, have been geniuses. This was not true of all, but of many. They knew so much, yet smiled so little. It was not that their knowledge wasn’t impressive or lacked importance, but knowledge alone is like money sitting in a vault. It gathers dust, and gets old when left alone.

The same can be said of those who live focused only on emotions. Passions may excite for a season, but just like those who trust solely in knowledge, they are incomplete by themselves. Others have prized stability as their solace from trouble. They don’t strive to stand out, or follow the thrill of the crowd, they just seek to get by quietly. In the end, many of them share the same longing of the other two groups.

This is why God gave us the combination of brain, heart, and spine. We have been blessed with the ability to contemplate and be thankful. To return love with our heart, and to stand strong in times of adversity. All of these were gifts given to every age of man. They weren’t discovered by a scientist, dug out by an adventurer, or built by daily commitment.

Knowledge, passion, and commitment enhance lives, but God gave us the gift of happiness, fulfillment, and stability when we rely on Him. Children are the happiest of us all, not because they have all the answers, but because of something else. They have the ability to have faith, the desire to ask questions, and something else.

Both linguists and musicians will tell you, to learn a language or an instrument well, learn it as a child. Their ability to both learn, and to commit to something is amazing. Children are smart enough to know that they don’t know everything, and they are okay with that.

Whether in the space age, or the dark ages, our lives are a gift from God. A God that thought enough of us to give us knowledge. A Father Who loved us enough to give us a heart like His, with the ability to feel deeply. An as a Stedfast Creator, He equipped us to stand when the battle grows weary. Today I’m thankful that He gave us a firm foundation, a heart to reach for the stars, and the ability to understand how to get there.