Visual Preludes 2006 - Friendship with God

As a child of God, we go through life blessed, for the Lord is our refuge. It's a beautiful morning, a young woman is walking down a wooded path, the sun is shining, birds are singing, flowers blooming, the air is filled with fragrance and butterflies. Each day is a gift from God! The young woman leisurely walks along, "blissfully unaware" of all that is going on around her. All she sees is the beauty, however, there is more present: "We fight not against flesh and blood, but against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world". -Eph. 6:12. Some of these are found in this painting. In one of the trees is a monkey, which represents the lusts and temptations of this world. A red-headed woodpecker: symbolic of the ever-present devil. Also, an arrow carrying slanders and evil plots, and written on the trees 1000 and 10,000. "You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day...A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Only a spectator shall you be, as you witness the reward of the wicked." -Ps. 91: 5, 7-8. Look at the young woman's feet, they are not touching the path, but are strangely just above the stones. In the stones we find camouflaged a lions head and serpent. As written in scripture, "Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place. There shall no evil befall you...For He will give His angels charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways. They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and serpent shall you trample underfoot."-Ps. 91: 3-13 Unbeknown to the young woman and to us, every day we are surrounded by evil and temptations in the natural, and in the spirit world. But as a child of God, our God reigns! He sends His angels to help us. His Holy Spirit goes before us, and guides us down the right path that He has chosen for us, shown by the symbol of the dove. The sun represents the Son of God shining upon us, lighting our way. Looking upward we see two leaves with eyes, the eyes of God portrayed. He is above all, sees all, God has it all under control, we walk in His love...and we are blissfully unaware! In His Word, God promises every child of His that, "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation".