“Remember that picture of God and me I shared with you before, Joy?” Farzana asked. “I think of it all the time.” It was a precious picture just for her sent by the Father. Seeing through the eyes of her spirit she lay her head on Jesus’ lap and He comforted her. She reached up and gave Him a hug. That picture evoked such tender love for her Savior. “Yes, Farzana, your picture is very precious. Your heavenly Father loves you dearly. You will always be His child,” I reminded her. “Oh, Joy, sometimes I just lay my Bible against my chest and kiss it. I just want to kiss God, too, and tell Him how much I love Him. When I see that picture He looks so big and I am so small.”
When we are ministering to believers from Muslim background, like Farzana, we will frequently hear them share spiritual pictures and remarks. Treasure them for the Spirit is revealing Himself to these dear ones. Farzana is not a scholar of Christian doctrine but she knows her Savior. He loves her and she loves Him. Farzana is happy to have me share this with you.
She has come a long ways. There was a time long ago, when she was a Muslim, that she had a different picture of God. That picture was one of a harsh punitive Master and Judge who saw all her faults. This is a picture described by other Muslim friends. Poor people! However, not all Muslims have such a scary picture of God. When I asked Hamida if she has ever seen a picture in her head about God she said, “Yes, he had a long white robe on but I couldn’t see his face because it was shining.”
I asked another friend what kind of picture she has of God and she said, “He’s very kind and gentle and has a white robe on.” “And where are you in the picture?” I asked. “I’m not,” she answered. She has never seen herself in relationship with God in a picture. “Something is missing,” I told her. “God made us for relationship. Ask Him to give you a picture of the both of you.”
The response from both Muslims and Muslim background believers might surprise you when you ask them what kind of pictures they have of God and are they included in the picture? When they tell me of a spiritual picture I try to point them to Scripture which will confirm the truth of it. Psalm 23 and John 10 are beautiful pictures of God as a shepherd and we as sheep. They especially love this picture. Share your spiritual picture album of God. Read some of the pictures people in the Bible had of God to your friend.
Dear heavenly Father, please give my Muslim and believer friends more clear pictures of You. And to me, too! In Jesus’ name, Amen. 
