The Beauty of the Lord
“King of Sorrows” by William Burton (c. 1897).
“Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!” (1 Chron. 16: 29).
Enmeshed in our own lives, we often take for granted the beauty of the Lord. Our needs, our desires take precedence, despite the fact His beauty is all around us.
That beauty is reflected in infinite ways by the natural world – not only by flowers and trees or majestic vistas, but by the relationship of His creatures to one another. Great and small, they are interconnected. Great and small, they are dependent on Him.
We are not excluded from this picture. We, too, depend on Him for our existence. Were He another kind of god, He might demand our obedience on pain of death. Instead, He asks for our love.
“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” (Ps. 27: 4).
As Christians, our goal should be to seek Him out, to strive for the holiness He wants from us.
After all, His love for us was demonstrated by a death on the cross. He had no beauty then, no comeliness (Isa. 53: 2). For our sakes, He was despised and rejected by men – a Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief (Isa. 53: 3).
“In that day the Lord of hosts will be For a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty To the remnant of His people…” (Is. 28: 5).
In the darkest times, His beauty remains a consolation to us for that very reason.
“Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off” (Is. 33: 17).
One day, when the sorrows and travails of this life are no more, we will behold Him face to face. And His beauty will be revealed in all its glory.
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I’m so glad we were created with the capacity to enjoy beauty. I don’t think I have ever seen a dog or cat or deer in the field just standing there enjoying a beautiful sunrise or sunset.
I, too, appreciate the God-given capacity we have to appreciate beauty. There is certainly a difference between man and animal.
But chimps have been known to sit watching a sunset. They, also, engage in what seems altruistic behavior. Australian bowerbirds instinctively decorate the structures they build to attract a mate with flowers, shells, and other items (always favoring the color blue). Does this suggest they have an artistic sense? See, https://answersingenesis.org/birds/bowerbirds-artistic-sense/. Anyone who has ever owned a dog will tell you that they can understand kindness.
I think we see the hand of God in all of this.
The Psalms speak of lions “seeking their food from God” (Ps. 104: 21) and sparrows having their young “at God’s altars” (Ps. 84: 3). And they call on all creation to join in praising the Creator (Ps. 148: 7-10). This is echoed at Rev. 5: 13: “And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!’ “
Many blessings to you in this new year, Anna.
And to you, Sue. ❤
Thank you, Anna.
Indeed, God is a God who loves beauty, and there is much of it to behold, as you said, Anna.
And yet we have not seen the full expression of the beauty of the Lord.
“Out of Zion the perfection of beauty God hath shined” (Ps. 50:2).
I believe this is prophetic of the City of God, the bride of Christ, “the church which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all” (Eph. 1:21,22).
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2: 9).
Beautifully said Anna!
Thank you, Ron.
These words especially spoke to me: “In the darkest times, His beauty remains a consolation to us.” I can’t help but feel we may be facing dark times ahead. Praise God His beauty in the natural world, in the people around us, and even residing within us can empower us to endure until that day we do see our King in all his glory. Thank you for this uplifting encouragement, Anna!
Sadly, I agree that there are dark times ahead. I am glad you enjoyed the post, Nancy. ❤
Amen: “In the darkest times, His beauty remains a consolation to us for that very reason”