Psalm 9

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Kelly Joyner

David begins this psalm with a grateful heart, declaring the Lord’s wonderful deeds,

all while rejoicing and giving praise in one of his darkest hours. As he considers his enemies,

his focus on the Lord is unwavering. Verse 10 declares, “Those who know Your name trust

in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” In this verse, David is

reminding himself of God’s character, but also, as all scripture is breathed out by the Lord,

this verse has God generously revealing his character through David to all future

generations. He continues in verses 17-18, “The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,

all the nations that forget God. But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted

will never perish.”

The goal of this sculpture was to capture an image of what “the hope of the afflicted

never perishing” might look like. For me, hopelessness can feel like a crushed spirit,

crumbled like a piece of paper. But the Lord tells us “God will not forget the needy,” (verse

18) and “for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.” (verse 10) And Psalm

34:18 tells us “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” He

takes our brokenness and makes us beautiful by the light of the Holy Spirit.

The light in this sculpture represents the Holy Spirit refining us from wasted crumpled

paper to something new- something pure that radiates His beauty and love. Let us not be

like those who forget God, but let us seek the Lord and put all hope in Him and He will not

forget or forsake His children, he will not let our light be snuffed.

The sculpture is made from plexiglass, paint, and light. Many individually lit pieces

come together as one mass piece to represent the unity of many individual believers unified

through the Holy Spirit as the body of Christ. “That they all may be as one; as thou, Father,

art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us.” May the light of the world shine

brightest in your darkest moments, the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Caroline Taylor