Our Loving God – by Verna Cole Mitchell

Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Psalm 115:1 NIV

A scene I witnessed almost 30 years ago troubles me still. While traveling in the West, my husband and I stopped at a little mission. Stepping inside, we were captivated by the beauty of the arches and murals and statues. From a recording, we learned that the mission was more than 180 years old and several prominent statues had been dressed in clothes to make them seem more real to the people.

The image that stays in my mind is of a young Indian couple who came into the mission behind us. First, they stopped and put their fingers in the holy water and crossed themselves. Then the woman went to a statue, which was purported to have healing properties. She caressed its face with her fingers and then with several tissues she had taken from her purse.

My heart breaks as I think of her faith in an object that has no healing properties. Neither could it hear her prayers or respond to them in any way. In ignorance of the truth, people have made an idol of a statue akin to those, man-made of silver and gold, as described in Psalm 115: 5-8—unable to see or hear or speak or walk. In God’s Word, we read of His love and faithfulness and mercy, but we also experience His living presence every day in our lives. May our lives reveal His love to others.

Verna is a wife, mother, and grandmother, who seeks to honor God with her writing, is the author of two books of inspirational poetry: Don’t Frighten the Pansies and Somewhere Beyond the Blue. Contact