“Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus.”

If you live in or close to a city, you’ve likely seen this billboard:

When you see this image it’s pretty easy to know that this is for the new Apple TV device.  But what about that background?  Some see a rainbow of colors and it makes them feel good.  But, it is more than that.  If you are old enough to remember when color TV first showed up, you will remember seeing this on TV as stations signed off or on (yes, broadcast television stations didn’t once have enough programming for 24-7, and so they would sign-off at night and then sign-back on in the early morning.  And we would see this:

Look familiar?

Yes, what Apple TV is doing is calling upon our memories, or in this double meaning way, our “Pattern Recognition”.  I see those billboards and see recognition of the past, carrying to future, and all of us being a part of keeping the pattern going.  I guess, it can also be called, “good advertising”.  Simple, direct and tapping into a part of us that we might have long forgotten but glad that it has been brought back to now.

Each even calendar year, for the last 10 years, I attempt (mostly successfully) to read the Bible all the way through from front to end.  Over the years, through the reading, and through deeper study, I have begun to see the patterns of God’s Word.  There are many that carry through.  What propels me through the rough patches of life, is that the pattern that God has set out for each of us is: He forgives, He redeems, He saves, and He blesses.  It might be that on any given day that what we are facing just seems overwhelming and so burdensome that we want to retreat or just give up.  But, there is a pattern to be recognized.  If we surrender these trials and troubles to Him, His pattern can become our pattern.  So, let’s spend today recognizing and living in His pattern. (oh, by the way, His pattern is always in beautiful color).

Reference: 2 Timothy 1:13 (New Living Translation)