A few years ago, I became aware that many religious people perceive Eternal Life in Heaven as the prime reward for their beliefs and lifestyle. Although not religious, I set out to design a painting to illustrate the many blessings offered by a spiritual life that are enjoyed here on Earth, including Benevolence, Compassion, Courage, Optimism, Grace, Honor, Serenity, Renewal and Exaltation. Blessings are illustrated with contemporary figures in the beautiful painting by Delton Gerdes titled Blessings of a Spiritual Life, and each blessing is referenced to an inspiring quotation from the Bible, as follows:
ETERNAL LIFE: "In Christ, all shall be made alive" 1 Corinthians 15
BENEVOLENCE: "God saw all that He had made and behold it was very good" Genesis 1
COMPASSION: "Forgive and you will be forgiven, for the measure you give will be the measure you get back" Luke 6
COURAGE: "Put on the whole Armour of God" Ephesians 6
OPTIMISM: "Abound in hope for that we see not" Romans 8, 15
GRACE: "The path of the just is as a shining light" Proverbs 4
HONOR: He that endureth temptation shall receive the crown of life" James 1
SERENITY: "Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven" Matthew 6
RENEWAL: "And Jesus touched them and their eyes were opened" Matthew 9
EXALTATION: "Praise the name of God with a song, magnify Him with thanksgiving" Psalms 69
During my work on the painting, I came to realize a simple truth: the blessings portrayed in the painting are not restricted to those who are believers, but can be experienced in full and in their own way by all those who live a loving, moral, spiritual life.
Color poster copies measuring 17-1/2" x 25", suitable for framing, are available at $% each (for shipments in the U.S.; add actual shipping cost outside the U.S.).
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