This painting was inspired by the following Bible verse:
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
(ESV, Isaiah 40:8)
I believe it is an important reminder to all of us that most things in this life are temporary, and therefore we should not put our hope in them. Our homes need repairs, our phones get older and stop installing updates, and our bodies age. It is so easy to get our souls weighed down by just keeping our day-to-day life together and losing sight of eternity. The Bible says:
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
(NIV, Matthew 6:33)
Of course, it is important to take care of the things of life like food, clothing, and our homes. But we should not be so preoccupied with those things that they become an idol in our lives before God. We can know when something becomes an idol when we have to have that thing to be happy. That’s when we know that we lost sight of what is truly important in life.
We will face struggles in this life. And when we do, God wants us to turn to Him and seek help and wisdom from Him, instead of franticly trying to take control of our lives. In Philippians the Bible says:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
(NIV, Philippians 4:6)
I painted the fall to represent the transient nature of life. And I painted the country church tucked among the trees to represent the eternal God and His Word, the Bible, firmly standing through all the seasons and storms of life.
You can watch the time-lapse of this painting here:
