Scripture & the Arts: Finding Our Way in the DarkSample
Day 6: I Will Rise
My Strength is in Your Word by Jennie Kimbrough
Can We Be Restored?
Do you find yourself struggling with doubt? Doubt in yourself, doubt in God? Consider this promise from Philippians 1:6—” I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Put another way, grace is God meeting us wherever we are and refusing to leave us there.
Walking by faith is a marathon, not a sprint! God will never quit. He never backs down, never washes His hands of us, never shrugs His shoulders and moves on to someone else. God deeply loves you and is willing and able to fully heal and restore you in every way.
Rise Up
Surrounded by a corrupt and unjust society, where one cannot even trust family members, the ancient prophet Micah also expresses faith in God’s justice: “Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.”
No matter how unsupportive the community, how hard the road, or how often you fall, nothing is too dark for God. “Though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me”—this is a promise of hope and faith in God’s provision. Even in times of darkness and despair, God can shine His light and lead us out.
When you fall, do you rise?
Do you turn to the Lord to be your light in dark places?
Receive the Light
My Strength is in Your Word by Jennie Kimbrough picks up on several of these themes. In this piece, she chose “to portray a figure in a posture of supplication and worship, as this is the internal posture in which we are open to being infused with God’s strength. The figure is clothed not in physical armor, but in the Word of God. . . . A large circle, representing the presence of God, floats above the central, kneeling figure.” Jennie continues, “Our strength is in being fully immersed in the Word of God, not in our physical being.”
Can you see yourself in Jennie’s artwork?
Are there Scriptures you might memorize, like putting on a suit of armor, to light up the darkness?
Will you trust God today, opening yourself to His strength and light?
Scripture
About this Plan
Stumbling, drowning, abandoned—if you ever feel this way, this is the Plan for you. God joins us in the pit and brings us, arm in arm, into clear light and fresh air. Each day includes Scriptures and artwork that meet us in the darkness and remind us of God’s promise of light.
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