“There is a path which no fowl knows, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen. The lion whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. He puts forth His hand upon the rock; He overturns the mountains by the roots. He cuts out rivers among the rocks, and His eye sees every precious thing. He binds the flood from overflowing, and the thing that is hid, brings He forth to light.” Job 28:7-11
Today, Michelangelo is considered a master artist of the Italian Renaissance. As a 15th century master painter and sculptor, he created some of the art world’s most famous masterpieces of religious subjects; including, The Pietà, David, and The Sistine Chapel. Although there are many other works, these are the most famous and easily recognizable. Most of his masterpieces are massive, even by modern standards. David, one of the largest, was 17-ft tall at its completion. It represents a young King David armed with a slingshot over his shoulder, contemplating the fight with the Philistine giant, Goliath. The Pietà is a solemn depiction of the “lifeless” body of Jesus, draped across His Mother’s lap; His face frozen in agony and pain, while Mary mourns the death, not of The Christ, but of her son. And later, The Sistine Chapel, a small chapel, whose vaulted ceilings Michelangelo was originally commissioned to paint by the Papacy of Pope Julius ll. This magnificent work depicts biblical events from Genesis to Revelation. It was one of the most difficult to produce, since Michelangelo had to mount a scaffold for hours at a time for several years, reportedly on his back, to produce the work.
Although his artistic genius was never in dispute, when peers and onlookers asked him how he was able to create such masterworks like, David and The Pietà out of dead slabs of marble; his response was that, when he looked at the selected marble slab, he saw the sculpted image already encased within the marble. He believed that God had already placed the image inside the marble, and that he simply removed the excess stone and debris camouflaging the form, enabling the world to see the image!
Sometimes, God will allow YOU to see where others cannot; it is up to you whether you choose to be obedient and accept what He shows you, or not. Oftentimes, the image He shows you may not be immediately attainable. In many instances, like Michelangelo’s masterpieces, it may take years to materialize, revealing only bits and pieces of the complete vision. —Often, leaving others to lose faith, wondering what it was that you really envisioned. Yet, like the biblical story of God’s unseen army surrounding Elisha, not everyone can see what God wants only you to see.
So, keep your eyes open, stay on track, and most of all, --don't lose Faith. L.
Study Reference: Job 28:7-11, 2 Kings 6:15-18
From: "Seeing What Others Cannot." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: istock
Today, Michelangelo is considered a master artist of the Italian Renaissance. As a 15th century master painter and sculptor, he created some of the art world’s most famous masterpieces of religious subjects; including, The Pietà, David, and The Sistine Chapel. Although there are many other works, these are the most famous and easily recognizable. Most of his masterpieces are massive, even by modern standards. David, one of the largest, was 17-ft tall at its completion. It represents a young King David armed with a slingshot over his shoulder, contemplating the fight with the Philistine giant, Goliath. The Pietà is a solemn depiction of the “lifeless” body of Jesus, draped across His Mother’s lap; His face frozen in agony and pain, while Mary mourns the death, not of The Christ, but of her son. And later, The Sistine Chapel, a small chapel, whose vaulted ceilings Michelangelo was originally commissioned to paint by the Papacy of Pope Julius ll. This magnificent work depicts biblical events from Genesis to Revelation. It was one of the most difficult to produce, since Michelangelo had to mount a scaffold for hours at a time for several years, reportedly on his back, to produce the work.
Although his artistic genius was never in dispute, when peers and onlookers asked him how he was able to create such masterworks like, David and The Pietà out of dead slabs of marble; his response was that, when he looked at the selected marble slab, he saw the sculpted image already encased within the marble. He believed that God had already placed the image inside the marble, and that he simply removed the excess stone and debris camouflaging the form, enabling the world to see the image!
Sometimes, God will allow YOU to see where others cannot; it is up to you whether you choose to be obedient and accept what He shows you, or not. Oftentimes, the image He shows you may not be immediately attainable. In many instances, like Michelangelo’s masterpieces, it may take years to materialize, revealing only bits and pieces of the complete vision. —Often, leaving others to lose faith, wondering what it was that you really envisioned. Yet, like the biblical story of God’s unseen army surrounding Elisha, not everyone can see what God wants only you to see.
So, keep your eyes open, stay on track, and most of all, --don't lose Faith. L.
Study Reference: Job 28:7-11, 2 Kings 6:15-18
From: "Seeing What Others Cannot." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: istock
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