The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea – the Lord on High is mighty. Psalm 93:3-4
My friend Amy is a missionary in Africa and she recently had a picture of herself by the ocean with this scripture on her blog. I LOVED the picture and scripture and immediately went to paint it. 
If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered. Proverbs 21:13
Recently I have been memorizing scripture on the poor. I was inspired to paint this picture from one of the verses I was memorizing. I just got back from a mission trip to Brazil and saw poverty around every corner. I am so thankful for the blessing of seeing the nations and having my eyes opened over and over to what life is like around the world. Where we worked in Brazil, fresh sewage ran freely down the streets and between houses. Kids jumped in streams of raw sewage like they were jumping in a fresh puddle of rain. Life is simple there. I wonder how much bigger God is to you when you depend on Him for literally everything. I saw His provision all over the place. Fresh fruit drips from just about every tree. Natural resources are abundant there. God shines His face on the poor – He is faithful to provide.
Here are the other verses concerning the poor that I’ve been memorizing:
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the poor honors God. Proverbs 14:31
He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done. Proverbs 19:17
If there is a poor man among your brothers…do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. Deuteronomy 15:7-11
Sorry I haven’t posted all week. Grady’s (my husband) father passed away Sunday unexpectedly and we’ve been in Alabama all week. We just got back last night and we leave this morning for Brazil for a mission trip. Please keep us in your prayers this week. We’ll be back next Saturday.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…” Matthew 6:25
Do not fret – it leads only to evil. Psalm 37:8
I’m putting this picture as the fourth in the Lady Series. This was the first lady I painted. I really like how she turned out, however she looks a little stressed. Ladies, do you realize Jesus commands us not to worry? It’s really a trust issue. Do we really trust that the One who created the heavens and the earth – the One who knit us together in our mother’s womb – can really take care of our sick child, the bills, or the bad marriage? Can we really trust Him with those things? Does He really care about those things? YES!
A while back, I memorized Psalm 37 and was surprised to learn that fretting (another word for worrying) leads to nothing good – in fact, it leads only to evil. Hmmm, I think there’s some serious truth to that!
You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Psalm 86:5
This is the third painting in the Lady Series. She no longer wears the condemnation or shame of her sin (which was symbolized in her red skirt). She now stands in the mercy, grace, and forgiveness of her Savior – Jesus.
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so He went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7:36-38
Ever found yourself at His feet? Ever had your sins known by all – as if you wore them for all to see? This woman knew the depth of her sin, as did everyone else in town. That night Jesus sat at a table surrounded by men who were powerful and influential, yet who were also stained deep with sin. And yet there was only one that night at that dinner party who had their stains washed clean – an unwanted and uninvited dinner guest – a lady who dared tarnishing her already tainted reputation. There’s something that happens to shameful sin when placed at His feet. Some of us know what that feels like, and some of us know why that lady wept that night …at His feet.
This is the second painting in the Lady Series.
Sandi Hester 
