Meaning
Have you ever heard the mountains sing? Or the hills burst into laughter? While working on this painting, I could feel the melody of the mountains rising in my heart. It felt as if they had been eagerly waiting for the rain to pour out and just couldn’t contain themselves when their hope was fulfilled.
These mountains represent our hearts. In Isaiah 55:10-13, the Lord says:
"10 As the rain and snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
​
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth.
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
​
12 You will go out in joy
and be led in forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
​
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
for an everlasting sign,
which will not be destroyed."
In this verse, His “word” is the things He has promised to us. In times of brokenness, God’s promises give us hope. There are many things God has promised us: where there is mourning, He promises comfort and joy; where there is sickness, healing; to orphans, He promises family; and to the broken-hearted, peace. Maybe He has promised you something specific and you’re still waiting to see the fulfillment of that promise.
​
Hope can be hard to hold on to while we wait. Sometimes, waiting can bring us to the brink of desperation, causing us to begin to wonder, “Is God really a promise-keeper?”
​
Yes, He is.
​
This painting is an expression of the moment our hope is fulfilled. The heavy clouds represent the promise, and the rain represents the release of that promise. Just as described in Isaiah, the mountains, our hearts, will burst into song because His word has accomplished its purpose.
​
God’s promises are not empty, and He does not break them. Whether you’ve been waiting years to see a promise come to fruition or waiting minutes, take courage; He will keep His promise.
Story
This painting was a bit of an experiment. I wanted to try watercolour, but I also wanted to try oil pastel and some other mediums. If I recall correctly, there are five different mediums in this painting. I wasn't really expecting much it; in fact, I wasn't expecting a sellable piece at all. I was mostly just having fun. Yet, as I've discovered, God wants to be a part of those moments too. He was very involved in making this piece - suggesting colours, mediums, and placement. He still had a vision for it even though I didn't, haha!
​
I have several paintings with mountains in them that hold some prophetic significance for me. This is one of them. I don't fully know what it means as I'm not finished with mountains yet. You can read more about that here.