by Darcia Kunkel

God’s Compassionate Covenant.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
Isaiah 54:10, English Standard Version

This is a picture of a picture. My maternal grandmother painted this landscape years ago. It hung above the television in her house for as long as I can remember. When she passed away, the painting was given to me. It received a new frame, and is the centerpiece of my dining room.

My grandmother was a quiet woman, but often struggled with worry, anxiety, and high blood pressure. She raised four children, and was one of the thriftiest women I knew. She lived a quiet life. My grandparents hardly travelled. Restaurants were reserved only for special occasions, and I can’t recall them ever going out just for “entertainment.” They were savers, not spenders.

I often empathized with my grandmother. Though she seemed content with her life, I wondered if she had other hopes and dreams. She enjoyed painting scenery. She would look at photos and recreate them on canvas. This particular painting reminds me of a Bavarian countryside…perhaps from her native Germany.

Was she an artist at heart? Did she desire to live peacefully in the green mountains? Did she long for the simplicity and rejuvenation of the outdoors? I am not sure, but I do know that this was a treasured work that held a place of prominence in her home. I also know that she had great faith. She would tirelessly pray for others, read her Bible, and volunteer at church.

What I remember most was that she was at peace near the end of her life…a humble life, well-lived. How awesome to know that God’s love will never depart from us. Though trials may come, His covenant of peace, compassion, and grace shall remain.

Lord, let me always be reminded that no matter what happens in this life, your promise of steadfast love and peace endures.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado