B: Beautiful

One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. Psalm 27:4 (NKJV)

When you hear of the beauty of the Lord, what do you think of? Do you think of the majesty of God? Do you picture Jesus as a handsome man who is also God?

Isaiah 53 is a passage about the coming Messiah that describes Jesus at the time of His death. It tells us there was no beauty about Him.

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. Isaiah 53:2 (NKJV)

As I’ve pondered this, I recall a conversation with my late mother about a woman we knew when I was a child. Mom said that when she first met her, Mom didn’t think of her friend as an attractive person, yet as she got to know her, Mom found that the friend was beautiful, for she had a heart for God, a love for others, and a kind tongue. Her beauty shone from the inside out.

Perhaps the Psalmist had the character of God in mind when he wished to see the beauty of the Lord. King David was considered a man after God’s own heart, and David thought deeply about the true nature of God, and not how He was perceived by other nations or David’s own culture. The Lord was attractive because He was desirable. As a result, David wanted to dwell in the house of the LORD all of his life. He sought the Lord.

What do we know about the Lord from Scripture? Please add to the list.

• The Lord is our shield, fortress, and deliverer.
  • (Psalms 3:3; 18:1–3)
• The Lord is a good listener.
  • (Psalms 5:3; 6:9; 10:17–18; 17:1–2, 6)
• The Lord is righteous and just.
  • (Psalms 5:8; 7:17; 9:4; I John 2:1)
• The Lord forgives.
  • (Exodus 34:6-7; Psalm 103:3; Luke 7:47–50; Ephesians 1:7)
• The Lord is compassionate and merciful.
  • (Psalm 5:7; James 5:11)
• The Lord is trustworthy.
  • (Psalms 5:11; 9:10)
• Salvation belongs to the Lord
  • (Psalm 3:8; 18:35, 46; I John 2:2)
• The Lord created beauty.
  • (Genesis 1:1; Psalms 8:3; 19:1–6)
• The Lord is the eternal King.
  • (Psalms 10:16; 24:7–10)
• The Lord is our teacher and guide.
  • (Psalm 27:11; John 14:26)
• The Lord is our shepherd.
  • (Psalm 23; John 10:14–16)
• The Lord loves us.
  • (Psalms 107:21-22; 130:7-8; John 13:34)

May we see God for who He truly is, not with the boxed-in view we often can have. Let’s dig into Scripture and learn the nature of our beautiful God! He possesses all that is desirable.

Lord, You are beautiful. Help me keep my eyes on You. Amen.

###

Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION (NKJV): Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION®. Copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Photo by Simon Berger on Pexels.com