Earnestly I Seek You

Artist Statement

Psalm 63 While studying Psalm 63, I found that David was in the wilderness of Judah again. He spent a vast amount of time there, running from those who were seeking to destroy his life and his God. David experienced many ups and downs while in hiding and realized that to survive (physically and spiritually) he needed to cling to God for strength and for all his provisions. What was he thinking during the desperate times? How did he stay encouraged when he felt trapped by his fears and emotions? My vision for this painting was to depict David in a posture of pure dependence on God as he navigates surviving daily in the desert. I have placed David in the foreground of the canvas, and the background is sectioned into thirds and depicts the passage of time on any given day. Part of David is present in each section to consider that he touched on all ranges of emotion during his seclusion. David is placed in a posture of prayer, his head is bowed and his hands are open and ready to be filled. His is covered in the words of Psalm 63 all over his tunic and his sash is filled with music. These both symbolize how David depends on God’s word and how he praises God with his lips through song. The bottom section of the canvas represents the desert wilderness. Muddy swirls of chaos surround jackals lurking nearby; ready to consume David. I used maps to create the jackals to acknowledge our struggles with worldly distractions. Sin is ever-present in our daily lives and, like the jackals; hungry to devour us if we are not mindful. The middle section of the canvas considers David’s time at rest when he meditates on God’s word and remembers a time when he could worship freely in the temple. He clings to the promising words and knows that God will remain faithful. David is comforted. The top portion of the canvas is filled with blue skies, soft breezes, lush, green mountain grasses and contented sheep. Here, David understands the epitome of God’s promises and his reward when he fully seeks God to fill his days. When we give God all the parts of our day, He becomes our stronghold for an abundant life.