Exquisite works of art fill many museums. Paintings of beautiful scenes draw the observer to contemplate an abstract idea—love, happiness, passion, peace, pleasure and more. Some paintings look lovely from a first glance, a distant, surface view, but if you pause to look closer and contemplate the emotion the artist was trying to capture, so much more can be seen within the images.

The Bible, too, is filled with word pictures that tell beautiful stories. The phrases can be inspiring from a first glance, but upon deeper inspection a much more meaningful idea comes to light. One such beautiful picture is portrayed in Psalm 85:10-13,

“Mercy and truth have met together,

Righteousness and peace have kissed.

Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Yes, the LORD will give what is good; and our land will yield its increase.

Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.”

This psalm is a portrait of salvation. The Lord God and His Son, Yeshua, met together. They planned a way of salvation for the people they love and created in Their image from even before the foundation of the world. According to plan, Yeshua emptied Himself of His glory and poured Himself out as an atonement for our sins. The righteous Lord God looked down from Heaven and declared, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) Yeshua Himself declared, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) And when the Truth sprang out of the earth on Resurrection Day, He made a way for us to follow Him to everlasting life.

The Lord did all of this for YOU! He loves you and has good plans for you. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Lights…”(James 1:17) He wants you to be with Him in Heaven, so He goes before you as an example. He has walked where you are walking right now. He has born the same burdens and resisted the same temptations that you are facing. He understands what you are going through. And He has left His footprints as signs to light your pathway so you will not get lost along the way.

Don’t feel discouraged. Though you might feel distant or distracted or lonely in spirit, you are NOT alone. Call out to the Lord for help. Look around you for His footprints. He will make your way clear; His Word will light your path.

May we walk in His footsteps every day, and may we be kissed by His righteousness and peace all along our way.