King
David had one consuming desire. He wanted to continually dwell in God’s
presence and gaze upon God’s beauty.
“One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.”
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.”
(Psalm
27:4)
What
exactly is the “beauty of the Lord”?
Since God
is invisible, what can we possibly appreciate when we “gaze upon His beauty”? Is
there such a thing as “beauty of the Lord” in the first place?
If
anything, God is not beautiful, judging by externals. The prophet Isaiah described Jesus as having
“no form or majesty that we should look at Him and no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah
53:2b).
If Jesus were
to present Himself before us today, He would not appear rugged, macho, handsome
or dashing. He will not make heads turn. The ladies, especially, would not be
going gaga after Him.
What then
is so beautiful about God?
When we
consider God’s wondrous creation in nature, we are simply awestruck by its beauty—whether it is the sun setting on the horizon or the majesty
of the Iguazu Falls.
When we
consider man, we marvel at the beauty of God’s intricate design: “I praise you,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul
knows it very well” (Psalm 139:14).
Apart
from God’s beauty in nature and man, we can also appreciate the beauty of the
Lord in three areas:
First, it is remarkable that God chooses to dwell in the hearts of believers.
Dispelling the image of a cold, distant, over-judgmental celestial Being—ever ready to whip us into submission—He is a personal God. In fact, He is like a father to us.
“To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
“For you did
not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have
received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The
Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”
(Romans 8:15-16).
He is so
personal that He calls us His friends: “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not
know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I
have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).
Secondly, God’s beauty lies in His incomprehensible love, grace and mercy and humility towards
us. His favour towards us
who believe is immeasurable.
“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ
died for us” (Romans 5:8).
“Bless
the Lord, O my
soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.”
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.”
(Psalm
103:2-5)
“Jesus
made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness
of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7-8).
Thirdly, what is so beautiful about God is His power which can accomplish incredible things for us, within
us and through us.
“Now to him who is able to do far more
abundantly than all that we ask or think, according
to the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do
the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living
water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom
those who believed in him were to receive” (John 7:38-39).
Let’s pause
for a few moments to consider these incredible truths concerning God’s power.
Though Jesus’ miracles are great, believers can also perform such great acts—and much more because the Holy Spirit is working in and through
us. Isn’t that mind-boggling?
When David
was spending time in God’s presence, what struck him concerning the “beauty of
the Lord” were certainly not superficial and external things. It’s all about the
attributes of God, His unchanging promises, mighty acts and favour towards
those who are faithful. All these things make God beautiful.
To gaze
upon the beauty of the Lord is to contemplate the glorious excellence and
perfection that can
only be found in God.
“I will
remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
(Psalm
77:11-12)
When we
gaze upon His beauty, we are filled with a sense of awe and gratitude. Such an
attitude results in praise, thanksgiving and service.
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