“When this painting was first introduced, I was surprised at the reactions I heard from unbelievers. ‘Ooooo, SCARY!’ was the typical response. They didn’t know the love of God! Will he let go of those ropes that we hang from so precariously? Maybe yes…maybe no, but we still need to trust him that he knows what’s best for us. Yes, that’s easy to say, but when we hit that hard ground from a fall, its hard to trust Him, to lean not to our own understanding and acknowledge Him as all knowing. If we do, though, the promise is that he will make our path straight. He will guide us. I want that, don’t you?”
A traveler, hiking through the wilderness, came to the edge ofa canyon. Seeking a way to the other side, he discovered a big rope stretched across the canyon. As his eyes followed the rope toward the other side, he was surprised to see a man coming toward him, confidently pushing a wheelbarrow. As he arrived, the traveler exclaimed, “That was truly amazing!”
The man with the wheelbarrow asked, “Do you believe that I can do it again?”
“Oh, of course,” the traveler replied. “You walked across with such confidence.”
“Do you really believe I can do it again?” asked the man with the wheelbarrow.”
“Definitely,” replied the traveler.“
“Very good, then,” said the man with the wheelbarrow. “Hop in and I will take you across.”
Many of us look at God the same way we look at the man with the wheelbarrow. We say we have faith that God can do anything. Yet, when it comes time to get in the wheelbarrow, our faith begins to dwindle.
The scriptures are full of stories of faith and trust. The blind man, Bartimaeus, had such faith in Jesus that he was given sight. Jairus’ faith resulted in the healing of his daughter and the woman, whose faith made her relentless in her pursuit to touch the hem of Jesus robe, received healing.
Are we relentless in our pursuit of Him? Or, do we stand at the edge of the canyon wishing we could get across? Having experienced so many of God’s promises, surely we can trust Him to carry us across this tightrope we call life.
Matthew 17:20
“Job trusting God despite afflictions”
In the 1870’s, the Providence Lithograph Company began gathering and commissioning an extensive collection of artwork. Inspiring paintings and beautiful illustrations grew into a gallery of more than 5000 images from 200 different artists. These paintings, embracing Historical, Biblical, and Americana themes, were preserved in Rhode Island and Massachusetts vaults—and were all but forgotten.
The entire collection has recently been unearthed and resurrected. After being professionally researched, scanned, and catalogued, the gallery is now unveiled for a universe of uses.
