“The LORD your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes and in the wilderness where you have seen how the LORD your God carried you as a man carries his son, all the way that you went….” (Deuteronomy 1:30-­31)

Pictures portray a thousand words, and vivid images breathe oxygen into black print on onionskin paper. Moses’ description of God in Deuteronomy allows us to peer through a lens and into the heart of our Father in heaven. Where we least expect to find a breathtaking photograph, the verses expose our eyes to the transformational beauty of the living Word in living color. Here we see Jehovah, the High and Holy King, as a most tender parent lovingly embracing his Son.

Not only does the Lord go before his people, not only does he fight for them himself rather than sending an underling to do his bidding, but he also meets the needs of his beloved children the way a protective father cradles a son against his chest. His strong arms form a supportive framework where the child can rest, nestled within the grasp of a Father who would never let go or grow weary of the task at hand. “Just as he did for you in Egypt,” he will repeat as often as necessary. He has proven himself trustworthy before and is incapable of inadequacies or inconsistencies of any kind.

When our minds limp with blurry recall and our hearts forget the past goodness of the Lord, flip to the pages we seldom roam to in Scripture. Gaze a moment longer at the Father’s image imprinted there. Allow his strength to carry you as far as he wants you to go.