This ink study is based on a dream I had in August. In the dream, I saw many people digging in the night to build a huge structure to house three idols. Men and women were relentlessly digging. I was there to see what kind of work was being done, and as I walked through the construction site, I kept finding large gemstones—treasure that no one noticed or bothered to pick up.
I was so confused. No one cared for the treasure that was lying in plain sight. Then, I finally saw one old man who picked up one large gemstone to inspect.
The next morning, I asked God for the interpretation of the dream, because He is the one who can give dreams and help interpret them accurately. He immediately led me to Isaiah 60:2–3:
“Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance.” (NLT)
Don’t miss out on the treasure that is in plain sight. It feels “good” to strive because we feel like we are of some use to the world. We strive because the world tells us to boost our ego through hard labor. Religion tells us to do more, to be more, and to try a little harder.
But Jesus said His burden is light. It doesn’t mean we become lazy goosies; it means we take His lead—we do what He does and rest when He rests. We imitate Him. We learn from Him and we rest in Him.
He is the treasure. He is available in plain sight, willing to give rest to anyone willing to receive it. Just take the treasure and go home. Stop digging and live in rest.
Artist Notes:
I did this sketch with dip pen and ink. The gemstone is done with color pencil. I chose these mediums to keep the simplicity of the call to follow Jesus. The black ink on white paper shows the contrast between light and dark.