Beyond the Verses | Wonderful Joy Ahead

I've created lots of new pieces with beautiful verses, but didn't just want to create art using them without go deeper. Looking beyond the one verse unveils the realities and truths of them. It adds depth and allows to apply to our own lives.

That's why I began this blog series - Beyond the Verses so that we may grow in our faith through scripture.

Let's take 1 Peter 1:6 - There is wonderful joy ahead. 

It's a pretty verse to have hanging in your home. Who doesn't want to have joy ahead or behind them, right? But this scripture is written surrounded by lots of other accounts where you may think joy didn't exist. The disciples faced persecution and execution. Their lives where constantly at stake because they took the commission - GO MAKE DISCIPLES - seriously.

Jesus told Peter to "rejoice and be exceeding glad" knowing the impending hardships they will face - you know, like possible death! 

You and I may not face execution for sharing our faith especially in America, but we face worries and sorrows, encounter difficult decisions and obstacles. The immediate application for us is to let our gladness in Christ arise no matter the circumstance.

It's our priority and responsibility to cultivate that joy and to realize the unseen.

We all know joy and sorrow will always co-exist, however we need to choose to live in a way where your joy is central and sorrow is superficial - not the other way around. Let you joy be deeply rooted that when sorrow comes your joy can conquer it. 

So, I created this piece for your home as a reminder that wonderful joy is ahead in the midst of crazy hard days. 

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