Cool of the Evening issues a visual invitation to join the Lord for a walk—to enjoy fellowship and a stroll.
- Micah 6:8 (ISV) He has made it clear to you, mortal man, what is good and what the Lord is requiring from you— to act with justice, to treasure the Lord’s gracious love, and to walk humbly in the company of your God.
- Genesis 3:8 (NLT) When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees.
{Artist note} As I began to ask about this piece, I heard the words “cool of the evening” followed by “walk with Me.” I sensed this was intended to be a literal, physical walking—not simply the walking out of one’s faith (though it undoubtedly encompasses that as well). As the pieces came together in the art, it was interesting to see how Papa wove the shoreline with the wooded path with the cathedral. I sensed it was a reminder that He is visible throughout creation and we are welcomed (and encouraged) to meet with Him literally anywhere.
A Prophetic Nugget from “Daily Downloads from Heaven” by Meghan Williams is connected to this. It’s called “Join Me.”
Genesis 3:8 (NLT) When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees.
Beloved, when you sense My presence, join Me. Let no sense of shame should hinder your approach, for My love is no fickle thing. I AM here for you always. And refuse to allow busyness and obligation to distract you, for what can be more important than time with Me?
Trust that if I’m causing a divine interruption, I can provide the grace to cover you, for I AM mindful of every responsibility on your shoulders and I AM the one who strengthens you to fulfill all that you do. So join Me. Walk with Me. And may we fellowship together.
A Word called “I Am for You” from Elisa Eaton of Waiting in the Wings is connected to this.
Joshua 1:7 (NKJV) “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
Beloved, I am for you. As you take small, faith-filled steps into your promised land, remember you are not walking alone. You and I are a team, bonded as one through your wilderness sojourns. I have already determined to work every situation in your favor. I go before you to pave your path to victory. I take down each of your giants when you are willing to face them. And when you take new territory in your inheritance, I join you in celebration. Nothing makes Me happier than to see you obtain My promised blessings!
Therefore, resist the voices of fear and doubt which seek to obscure your vision. Carefully weigh and test each thought that arises in your heart to ensure that it comes from Me. I will never use fear and intimidation to lead you or move you away from danger. I always shepherd you with gentleness and with peace. I vigilantly keep watch over you and am well equipped to protect you.
Let no earthly obstacle hold you back from obtaining all that I have for you. With each new step that you take, rest in the power of the Cross. For it is on the Cross that I made an eternal declaration that I am on your side. Walk in bold confidence of My love for you for it covers you completely and is what assures your victory.
Revelation 12:11 (NLT) And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
The “MOVE” card from D4Yart Deck 1 is connected to this. The card is based on the “Locked Garden” Dyed4you Art piece, and it reads, “Close the door or step outside, and then just move. Movement is a release and also a form of communication (just as a wave is a nonverbal greeting), so your movement can communicate much without saying a word. Express your passion, joy, or even sadness in dance or simple motion – refuse to feel silly or be embarrassed, just express yourself by allowing your body to move.”
A Meditation of the Word called “Mercy is His Name” from Elisa Eaton of Waiting in the Wings is connected to this.
Mercy is a central part of God’s nature—in fact, His name is mercy. In Exodus 34, God responded to Moses’ desire to see His glory. And as He passed before Moses, verse 5 says that He “proclaimed the name of the LORD.” And the proclamation that rolled forth was: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
I don’t know about anyone else, but many times when I would read this Scripture, I would find myself quite focused on the latter half of the verse! I trembled at the God who punished the guilty and allowed iniquity to be a generational inheritance! Due to my own woundings in life, I found it hard to see the other side of God’s character—His overwhelming heart of mercy. And I think my struggles with perceiving (and receiving) mercy have been due, in part, to how I learned to interpret much of Scripture.
There are many ways to view the story that is told from Genesis to Revelation, from the creation account until the return of our Conquering King. We can choose to focus on the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden, or we can rejoice over the prophesied redemption that God promised would come through one of their offspring. We can obsess over the moral failings of the forefathers of the faith and the children of Israel, or we can marvel at those who walked with God and how He walked with them.
In the Word of God, humanity’s cycle with sin, repentance, and redemption are on display for us. And if we look in this mirror closely, we can most definitely see ourselves. However, how do we view the story that is there? While we certainly don’t want to minimize to cost of sin, I would argue that it would also be unproductive for us to navel-gaze at our individual and corporate failings. Do we choose to obsess over our fallen nature? Or can we look at our rather challenging corporate journey with God through His eyes of mercy?
The more we allow the Holy One to shape our character to look like His, the more that we will be able to see the beauty in our human experience. This story isn’t about what we have done, it is about what the Creator is doing and who we are becoming through Christ. For there is a crimson road that is woven throughout Scripture, throughout human existence, and throughout our individual lives. In the face of all of our failings, we can rejoice that God has paved a way back into His presence through His great mercy.
Exodus 34:6 (VOICE) Then the Eternal One passed before him. Eternal One: The Eternal God, full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger, and abundant in loyal love and truth….
A prophetic download from Becky Eddy is connected to this. It’s called “His Greatest Craftsmanship.”
The heavens and its starry host speak and declare God’s story and craftsmanship. They bear witness to His testament. Yet, the heavens have no audible voice. Its declaration of God as the one and only Creator and Sovereign Ruler is not in words but action.
The heavens exist and do what God created them to do. It knows its identity, its purpose, and the source of that purpose. There is no question or doubt. All the universe can do is simply be what it was created to be and do what it was created to do.
The simplicity and beauty of this truth leave many who gaze up in wonder. These individuals may question how the heavens were created, who created them, and why. And they may have their doubts and theories, and they can exhaust all possibilities, yet these onlookers will never have it all figured out. This displays the sheer unfathomable magnitude of who God is—His undeniable authority and power—and it leaves one in awe of His mysteries and ways.
Even though the heavens display and declare who God is, as mysterious and as awesome as they are, they are not His greatest creation. We tend to see the heavens and this world through this lens, but truly the greatest craftsmanship and most magnificent display of God’s glory is us. We marvel at everything else that He has created and find Him in those things. Yet, we miss—or even dismiss—that we are His crowning achievement.
Listen closely, and let this sink deep within you. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Tonight when you go outside for a prayer walk, look up at the stars and marvel at the mere sight of what you can see. Recognize how great, infinite, and mind-blowing it all is. But then remember this: NONE of that adds up and compares to YOU.
God’s whispering, “I made all of it for YOU. I knew long before you were born that you would love to go on walks, hold My hand, and enjoy the beauty of it all. So, I made them just for you. Some of My children like bouquets of flowers.
“But I know you, and knew how you would like looking up at the heavens so much more than that. And I knew when we would walk together, how much the two of us would enjoy it together; how I could point out each star and tell you about them. I knew how you would giggle with delight, smile so brightly, and your eyes would widen with. I knew how the sight of them would take your breath away… just like you do to Me. I love you…”
The name of your silk is Walk of Peace. The colors in it are: Green jasper representing abiding peace, dark teal representing richness, midnight sea representing calming the storm, fuchsia representing ripe fruit, and seafoam green representing mercy.
Father, may we be intentional to make time to fellowship with you, to walk with you, and may we find through that precious time of intimacy that we see both You and ourselves more clearly.
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