At the end of 2019, just before the year that the world changed, I had an intense dream that woke me up with a start.
I was shocked by what I saw and knew I needed to paint it. Here is “Painting From a Dream,” completed, with video showing parts of the process as well.
I hope this painting and the message it contains both challenges and encourages you! It’s taken a while to finish the painting. But I finally have!
Some have asked me about it, so I decided it was time to post this video. This is a 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas.
Some might consider this “prophetic art.” But this really is a painting, with what I feel is a Biblical, Christian message, inspired by a dream.
Perhaps it is prophetic, especially considering the tumultuous events of the last two years!
One thing is clear: Focus on Jesus, and you won’t go wrong.
Anytime you decide to do something that takes faith, you can be sure that your faith will be tested.
Count on it.
As a working professional artist, I can attest personally that this is true.
God opened the door for me to do art full-time in the recession of 2009, when I lost a well-paying job as a traveling vacuum/ filtration equipment trainer. Before my boss gave me notice, my mother-in-law had a very frank discussion with her 32-year-old son-in-law about his future.
“You’re in a dead-end job, Matt. You’re stressed out all the time, and you don’t ever see your family. What is it that you think God has called you to do?”
“I’ve always wanted to be a full-time artist,” I replied.
“Well, why aren’t you doing it, then?” she shot back.
“Umm…because I’m afraid my bills won’t get paid?”
“What!? You can’t trust God to meet your needs?”
Ouch.
It was a dagger straight to the heart.
At that point, I knew I had to decide to do art full time, or I would regret it years later. Yes, I could trust God to meet my needs!
When my boss terminated my position just a week or two later, it was like a green light to go. I was ready to say goodbye to regular employment and embark on this new adventure of professional art!
Immediately, after announcing my new career to friends and family, I got commissioned portraits right away. My future was looking bright!
This continued until the middle of the year, and then “the brook dried up.”
I had no commissions, no income, a family to provide for and rent to pay. My landlord called me asking me where his rent money was.
My stomach sank to the floor.
“Maybe this whole thing about being a full-time artist was a pipe dream,” I moaned to my wife, head down. “Maybe I should go back and get a real job again.”
“No. We didn’t go through all of this for you to fail now.” She looked me right in the eyes. “I don’t care if we struggle financially, but if you don’t do what God has called you to do, then I will be mad at you!”
“So what do we do, then? We have no money for rent!”
“We need to pray,” she said, matter-of-factly. “And fast.”
“How long?” I didn’t like the idea of fasting.
“As long as it takes!”
We did pray, and fast. We were desperate and needed God to move.
I remember distinctly as we were praying in the kitchen that I had a very clear thought pop into my head. It went something like this:
Matt, what would you do if you had that rent money in your hands, right now?
It was like God was speaking right to me. “I would be praising You, thanking You,” I replied.
I want you to do that, right now.
“Okay, Lord,” I said, getting up from the floor. I held up my hands, and said, “Thank You, Lord, for the rent money.”
Now, my outstretched hands had nothing in them, but you couldn’t have convinced me that I wasn’t holding rent money in my hands at that moment. I felt a wave of faith, peace and joy settle right on me. Actually, it was more like a flood, a download from heaven!
“Thank You, LORD! We have the rent money!” I knew it was as good as done.
“We’re done praying, Leah,” I exclaimed to my wife. “We have it, and God is going to do it!”
The next day at church, a guy walked up to me. He said, “Matt, I’d like to commission you to do a portrait for me. I don’t know exactly what I want done yet, but I’d like to give you this to get you started.”
It was a check. I’d like to say it was for the exact amount of our rent, but it wasn’t. However, in the next few days, the rest came in, and we had the rent money!
Not Enough…Again
About seven years later my art business was growing. I had steady portrait work, I moved into a community art studio and I began teaching classes.
But I had a bad month toward the end of 2016. Not only did I not have money for my studio rent, but I didn’t have money for house rent either.
And I got that same dreaded call from my landlord: “When are you paying rent?”
You would think that I’d remember how God provided for me in times past. In an amazing profession of faith, I’d puff out my chest, pull on my suspender straps (if I wore suspenders) and proclaim: “I am not worried in the least. God will provide!”
But I didn’t. Not even close. I told Leah about the landlord’s call.
She said, “So?”
My wife obviously didn’t want to hear me complain.
Where else could I go? Discouragement was hitting me like a 20-ton logging truck. I retreated to my bedroom, shut the door, and poured my heart to the Lord in prayer.
I prayed, and prayed, but felt nothing. No outpouring of faith, peace and joy. Just the magnitude of our financial predicament.
With that burden, I went to bed. The next day, I had an art show at our community studio.
“Get your head in the game,” I told myself. I had to put on a smile and be presentable to the public.
As I dragged myself out of the car and into the art studio, still discouraged, I offered one more limp prayer to God.
“God, you’re a big God, so I’m going to pray a big prayer. I pray I would sell ‘Smoldering Wick” today at the show.”
Why not? Why not ask big when I felt as low as I could go? What did I have to lose?
“Smoldering Wick” was a 30 x 40 acrylic on canvas painting I had just finished in time for the show. I felt it was my best painting I had ever done, and I priced it accordingly. An illustration of Isaiah 42, it depicts a man going through a time of intense discouragement and despair. The idea for this painting developed in response to a soul-searching time of prayer and brokenness over my own sins.
“Smoldering Wick,” 30 x 40, acrylic on canvas, 2016, by Matt Philleo
I had been on my knees, with my Bible open, and I found this promise: “a bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out.”
As I read these words, joy flooded my heart. My Bible literally became wet with tears. It confirmed to me again, I am saved not because of my own efforts, but because of the trustworthiness of God, revealed through His promises!
In the painting, the man’s servant encourages him in his time of need, while turning up the flame on His lamp. It symbolically portrays Jesus Christ, the suffering servant who identifies with our weaknesses and yet compassionately encourages us, promising to never snuff out our hope.
But at this moment, I didn’t feel hope. I literally felt like the man I had painted—discouraged and defeated.
Matt Philleo posing for “Smoldering Wick”
Not many attended our little art show. But toward the end of the day, a couple walked in. They seemed captivated by the painting and asked me about its meaning. I had already shared with several people that day and explained the symbolism to them just as I did to the others.
They looked at it for a while. Then one whispered to the other: “Where should we put it? Above the grand?”
“Maybe. Did you pay off the card?”
They discussed details like this for a while. I knew enough to keep my mouth shut.
“Do you take cards?” they asked.
“I do. I can scan it through my phone right here.”
“We’ll take it!”
Inside, I wanted to jump up and down like a little boy who was just told he would be going to Disneyland.
But instead, I held it together.
“That’s fantastic,” I said, shaking their hands as calmly as I could. “Congratulations! This is now your painting!”
After we took care of a few details and they left, I looked up and began to pray.
“Lord, what did you just do? Even though my faith was lagging, you still answered my prayer! Thank You, Lord! We have the rent money!”
You can be sure that when you step out in faith, your faith will be tested. And there is perhaps no other profession like the arts that stretches us in this way. But if you seek God, and remain true to the calling you were given, even in the tough times, God will provide for you!
Let me know what you thought of this story in the comments below. Have you ever had a time where your faith was tested? How did things turn out?
If you liked this post, please share it with your friends. Thanks and God bless you!—Matt
Today, I read a message of coming judgment that awakened me to pray more seriously.
Then I remembered how I had a dream at the end of 2019—December 29th. In the dream, there was a painting I was to do for the Lord—and had not started yet. I want to tell you about that dream and show you how I began TODAY, what I feel could be, a prophetic message displayed through an acrylic painting!
In this current pandemic season of 2020, this message might be something that the Lord wants to share with the world, and especially His people. The painting is in progress now, just started. I want to share the dream with you and show you how I began to paint this…
Please let me know what you think of this dream and painting!
May you ever draw close to God, through Jesus!
—Matt
If you found this post helpful or encouraging, would you send it on ahead? Let others know with the share buttons below. I’d love to hear your comments. Thank you so much!
I was really in some darkness before I painted this picture. I felt despair over my sins (yes, even as a Christian.) I got on my knees, with my Bible open, and just poured out my heart before God. The promise in Isaiah 42: “A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out…” just came alive as I prayed and saw those words.
I felt like that bruised reed and smoldering wick. But I knew God would not abandon me. Light arose in the darkness. Tears of joy flowed down my face, and my hands raised upwards to God.
I wanted to commemorate the moment of God’s presence and peace and share it with others. So I painted this picture ( 30″ x 40″ acrylic on canvas) to symbolize what God did for me and bring encouragement to them as well.
The original painting sold at the end of 2016–shown above in the collector’s home right after I delivered it–but I have sold several limited edition prints since then.
I’d like for you to have your own copy. So I am making up some full resolution greeting cards that you can print and share with your friends. You may print off as many as you like (to be given for free only, thanks! )
The card fits on standard 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper. It has the painting description on the back, and the scripture text from Isaiah 42 written elegantly on the inside within a custom lamp design.
Printable Greeting Card of “Smoldering Wick,” 30 x 40 acrylic on canvas by Eau Claire artist Matt Philleo
Now, today, I’m going to tackle the question that everyone seems to ask when their world is caving in. Others more scholarly than myself have expounded on the subject far better than I can, but I hope to share a different perspective that may help and encourage you.
Let’s go on to Chapter 1 where we discuss, “Why is there suffering?”
Light Arises in the Darkness
How to Go Through Suffering and Experience Incredible Joy
Copyright 2017 by Matt Philleo. All rights reserved.
I invite you to become a part of my Reader’s Review Group and I’ll let you know whenever I have a new section on the book written. Also, you will receive a discount on the actual book when it’s published. Join today!
(To help you navigate through the book. I’ll be including links below to various posts…)
“God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them.” ― Augustine of Hippo, City of God
CHAPTER 1: Why is there Suffering?
Suffering is inevitable.
We don’t have to travel long on the journey of life before we encounter pain and suffering. The suffering takes various forms. Sometimes it can be an external struggle, such as a loss of a loved one, a major health issue, a financial setback, or an extremely difficult relationship. It can also be an internal struggle, often triggered by the external struggle.
These internal struggles, manifesting in the form of depression, despair, negative thinking, wrong self-esteem, fear, anxiety, worry, bitterness, temptations, even suicidal tendencies, are often harder to pinpoint, and the struggle is just as real as the external problem. In fact, it’s probably even worse, because the tentacles go far deeper and cause us to walk around with something like sunglasses on all the time, making every fresh moment in life look dark, bleak, and dismal. In turn, this cloudy vision corrupts our judgment to the point that we see things that aren’t there. Instead of opportunities, we see a chance to fail. Instead of people wanting to help us, we suspect they are out to get us. Instead of a God that loves us, we see a God that wants to crush us and ruin our day.
I know. I’ve been there before. Got the T-shirt. And now I’m selling it on e-Bay, because it doesn’t fit who I am!
So, why is there suffering?
That’s a great question. Throughout the centuries, the wisest sages have broken off their collective mind’s teeth, trying to take a bite out of this enigma.
How many times have you heard the question, “If God is good, then why does He allow suffering and pain in the world?” It’s interesting that the question is often posed by atheists or agnostics to discredit the idea of a transcendent supernatural being.
Actually, all they are doing is trying to discredit the idea of a loving transcendent supernatural being. Listen to the core arguments by leading atheistic apologists like Richard Dawkins, Charles Hitchens and Sam Harris and at the root of it, when they have a bone to pick with the Christian worldview, they argue against the existence of God because of all the evil going on in the world. I have listened to many of their debates, and they inexorably keep coming back to that same contention.
They say that the God of the Christian Bible condones, promotes evil and even is evil, and therefore he cannot exist. Not surprisingly, many ardent atheists, often previously religious people, have experienced a traumatic event in their own lives where God appeared to be unavailable or unsympathetic to their plight, and so they concluded there is no God.
And that makes for a compelling point, something they realize innately: If there’s a god, hemustandoughtto be good. And to some degree, they are right. If god is evil, there cannot be a god.
Now, we don’t invent God. God is not good just because we think He should be or we need a god who is good.
God is good, because that’s just who He is.
I’ll even go so far as to say this: God is good, because if He wasn’t good, He couldn’t be God.
Would it make sense that a tyrannical despot with a personality like Adolf Hitler or Josef Stalin could operate the universe?
Certainly, we did see the rise of Germany and Russia in the 1930’s and 40’s, with socio-economic forces seemingly going their way for a decade or two, but then their prospective empires imploded when the devastation they created backfired. They couldn’t successfully govern their own countries, let alone the laws of physics spanning the galaxies. Think of top executives profiting off of corporate theft and how eventually their mismanagement causes their companies to come crashing down, or at least their own careers. Rulers who are in it for themselves only–which really is the definition of evil–may keep order for a while, but sooner or later, narcissism displaces managerial responsibilities, discontent of the subjugated breeds revolution, and all that the leaders built or inherited has an inevitable collapse.
If there is a god, and he’s evil, even if he could somehow manage to keep the finely-tuned clockwork of the universe ticking, we would not expect to see gorgeous sunsets, flowers adorning the tops of hills, majestic waterfalls, babies smiling and reaching out for their mother’s faces, people in the western world waking up each day to take a cold, clean shower and eat a hot meal whenever they want it.
God is good, because that’s just who He is.
If there is an evil god running the show, we would expect to see the whole world, at every moment and in every place, looking like a garbage dump, with complete mayhem and destruction in every nook and cranny.
But we don’t.
Even more than that, we know that people have the capacity to love, to have compassion, to be generous, to do good things. (At least as far as human goodness goes.) Is it possible that the God who created them and lived for so many years more than them, would not excel in all these qualities? Could the creature be better than the creator?
Recently I created a painting called “Smoldering Wick, a 30” x 40” acrylic on canvas. I consider it my best work to date. It was well received enough that I created reproductions of it. I sold quite a few prints and several of my collectors have remarked on how much they love their copy. But having seen the original up close, the reproductions–as accurate as I tried to make them–don’t even come close to its quality.
So, as an artist, should I expect a reproduction of my artwork to exceed the quality of the original? Of course not! You know too that when you run to the copy shop to print something that there’s always some flaws in the photocopies.
Likewise, should we suppose that as reproductions–in a sense–of God, (the Bible says we are created in His image) we would exceed the deity in all of His good qualities?
Impossible.
And if we can’t exceed Him,then who are we to judge His actions?But people do that every day, and God puts up with it. That is more than we would do, if we looked down every day upon a bunch of tiny ant-like creatures on the one hand thanklessly ignoring us, even as we bent down to feed them, and on the other hand, shaking their fists at us when we turned away for a moment!
God, who is the very essence and definition of good, created this world, and it was good. The suffering came as a result of sin. The disobedience of one person, Adam, brought sin and suffering into the world. This is the world we inherited. The true root of suffering is in the heart of humankind. Lying, stealing, gossiping, racism, warmongering–all those things have come as a result of our rebellion against God. In addition, the Bible says the land has become defiled by our sin, too. That could be the reason for natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and volcanoes.
You can see that the precision of the finely-tuned universe, and especially our Earth, demands a creator, just as a intricately designed device like an iPad demands a designer. The Bible says, “the heavens declare the glory of God.”
When you see the magnitude of the nighttime sky, you know there’s a God out there. We can calculate when the sun will rise to the second three years from now. That is how well ordered our solar system is. God created it, and God sustains it. And again, we know He can only run the universe properly if He is good.
A friend of mine and I were talking with a man one evening at the University of Eau Claire, Wisconsin and shared the good news of God’s salvation with him. I read out of the book of Romans in the Bible in Chapter 3, where it says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” He stopped me and asked, “It says all. Doesn’t that mean God sinned too? God created everybody, knowing they were going to sin, so doesn’t that make him responsible for that evil?”
I replied, “Not at all. If one of my children grew up and robbed a bank and killed someone, but I raised them in a right way, teaching them, praying with them, loving them–would that make me personally responsible for the child’s actions?”
“No, but society would see you as partially responsible.”
“True, but that doesn’t mean society was right in their assessment.”
And this is how society, the world at large sees God. They want to blame him for all the trouble they created.
But then, when things are going well, they want to take all the credit, and tell Him to get out of their hair!
The fact is, God created people with a free will, not as robots. They chose to disobey and sin. They are responsible for their actions, not God.
The true root of suffering is in the heart of humankind.
It’s important that we get this fact nailed down right away. Nothing in your world will make sense if you don’t believe in a good God. And again, I will reiterate: it’s not your belief that makes Him good. He is good, regardless. But if you don’t recognize that truth, the deception will forfeit your peace. You’ll be like a rock climber without a rope, frantically grabbing at every twig to keep you falling, when all the time there is a strong hand lovingly extended to pull you up.
Aren’t you glad that the God who created everything, including yourself, is good?
The suffering we endure as human beings is all our fault, collectively. But your suffering isn’t necessarilyyourfault. You could be suffering because of bad decisions your parents made, your wife or husband made, your boss made, or your senator made. But if it is your fault, that doesn’t mean that there’s no hope for you.
That will finish it up for today. In the next post, we’ll move right into the rest ofChapter 1: Why is There Suffering?and specifically, “What is the purpose of suffering?”
Be blessed and be encouraged,
Share Your Thoughts!
If you have any comments or questions about what I wrote, please leave me your feedback below at the very bottom of the page! I will personally get back to you.
Can you help me spread the word? Please share this post with your family and friends by using the social media links on the side or at the bottom of this page. Thank you!
I invite you to become a part of my Reader’s Review Group and I’ll let you know whenever I have a new section on the book written. Also, you will receive a discount on the actual book when it’s published. Join today!
So here is my book–in progress–starting with the a cover layout I made on Photoshop. It may change as I get closer to publication, but this will work for now.
And here is the chapter outline, followed by the introduction. Keep in mind the book will be edited before publication, but you will get to see it in the rough, first. I really appreciate your comments, as that will be an encouragement and will also help me in the direction I take the book.
Please pray for me that I would write it well–that it would be according to the truth in God’s word, the Bible, that it would encourage others in the midst of their struggles, and that it would help people to see how awesome God is, in the midst of the difficulties of life. Thank you!
Light Arises in the Darkness
How to Go Through Suffering and Experience Incredible Joy
Copyright 2017 by Matt Philleo. All rights reserved.
CONTENTS
Why is there Suffering?
Acknowledging Your Suffering
Suffering Caused by Financial Problems
Suffering Caused by Health Problems
Suffering Caused by Loss Problems
Suffering Caused by Relationship Problems
Suffering Caused by Internal Problems
Seeking the Lord in Your Suffering
Responding to His Presence and Encouragement
Becoming an Encourager
“Our sorrows are all, like ourselves, mortal. There are no immortal sorrows for immortal souls. They come, but blessed be God, they also go. Like birds of the air, they fly over our heads. But they cannot make their abode in our souls. We suffer today, but we shall rejoice tomorrow.” – Charles Spurgeon
INTRODUCTION
This book is not meant for those who have it all together.
I wrote this book partially as way of recording my own struggles, and piecing together in life how God has lifted me up out of the muck and mire, leading me from darkness into light, and is still lifting me up today. He can and will do the same for you, if you let Him. It is my hope that you will find great encouragement through reading this book.
But, on the flip side, the best this book, or any book like this can do is serve as a signpost, pointing you to the Book of books, that is the Bible. I believe God wants to jump off its pages, in the middle of your discouragement and despair, give you a warm, life-infusing hug, tell you it will be alright, encourage you by giving you a plan of what He wants to do in your life, and even how you will respond to that by following Him closely.
What I write I am going to share from a biblical perspective, a Christian worldview. If you are not a Christian, it is not my goal to alienate you, but I must be true to who I am. My God has encouraged me through many trials in life. I believe He will do the same for you, because I’m nobody special. (But I am loved by Him, and so are you!)
Even if you don’t believe in God just yet, He still longs to give you peace in the midst of the storm.
But in the process, He may tell you things you don’t want to hear. Now, would you rather have a friend who cared about you enough to tell you that you had a smudge on your face, or someone who was too afraid to tell you the truth and let you walk around all day like that?
Yes, God actually speaks today, and it is either through the Bible or words that agree with the Bible. I will be sharing many things from its life-giving pages, as well as my own personal testimonies and those of others who have gone through suffering. As I share the stories of others, I have changed a few of the names to keep things anonymous.
I ask that you pray before and while you read this book. Everything that I present to you that is not directly from the Bible, I sincerely hope can be of help to you, but is subject to error. So please pray as you read this that God would allow that which is true to be remembered, and anything that is not would be forgotten and not retained. You can tell what is true by whether or not it agrees with the words contained in your Bible. May the Lord forgive me if I wrote anything that would diminish His glory and lead you astray in any way. I have almost turned away from writing this book for that reason. But I’ve continued to pray and believe this is what He wants me to do: that somehow, amazingly, God can use these meager words and images to bring encouragement to at least a few people and glory to Himself.
One thing you may be thinking is, “Who are you to write a book like this?”
Where are your credentials?
Well, I’m neither a professor nor a pastor. I’m not a psychologist, though I’ve given advice to many! I’m not even what you would consider a “super-Christian.”
I’m not a theologian. At least not a professional one.
I’m a layman. I’m a Christian, a husband, father, active member of a local church, and an artist. I love to do paintings and drawings that bring comfort, encouragement and inspiration to the brokenhearted.
So why write a book about encouragement?
A couple years ago, I started writing about the ideas in my art when I posted it to my blog. Extant above all was the theme of encouragement. My art is inspired by the times when I have experienced suffering of many kinds: financial, relationship, loss, and internal struggles. Can you relate? I found God to be the only stable source of encouragement in these times of darkness and despair. In fact, I have even experienced incredible joy in the middle of the worst circumstances!
“I found God to be the only stable source of encouragement in these times of darkness and despair.”
I thought it would be great to create an e-book to share with readers of my blog, but soon the idea got wings and expanded to a full-size book, especially as I asked others to weigh in and share their stories of finding light in the darkness as well. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but sometimes a few words can create a thousand pictures in our minds. With that, I decided to put pen to paper, (or fingers to a keyboard) as well as a brush to canvas to express the concepts of comfort, encouragement, and inspiration.
It is this goal of finding joy in the middle of suffering that I want to share with you. Feel free to disagree with anything I’ve written, but come with an open mind. I’ll be including images of my artwork to illustrate and correlate with the concepts and ideas presented here.
May you come to see how great, loving, perfect, and valuable God is as you find encouragement through this book!
And that’s it for now. In the next post, we’ll move right intoChapter 1: Why is There Suffering?
Be blessed, and I’ll be in touch,
Share Your Thoughts!
If you have any comments or questions about what I wrote, please leave me your feedback below at the very bottom of the page! I will personally get back to you.
Can you help me spread the word? Please share this post with your family and friends by using the social media links on the side or at the bottom of this page. Thank you!
I invite you to become a part of my Reader’s Review Group and I’ll let you know whenever I have a new section on the book written. Also, you will receive a discount on the actual book when it’s published. Join today!
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