Behold Beauty

“In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.”- Isaiah 4:2

A summer sunset is a stunning spectacle.  The tone of the sun, the pink tint in the clouds, the light glimmering off the water, makes sunsets must see summer programming. From vacation spots to favorite hikes to beach days, the summer provides us with many opportunities to behold beauty.

There is nothing more beautiful than the Lord’s glory on display.  Through His presence and power at work we get glimpses and deposits of His wonder-working ways.  Not only is what the Lord does beautiful to behold, it is personally and powerfully at work in all who will take hold of it.  In 2 Corinthians 3:18 the Apostle Paul writes, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Let’s focus on two beautiful displays today for us to behold.  First, the Lord’s promises are beautiful.  The Lord covenant promise is at work in His creation.  His day of salvation, help, and victory meets us. In Psalm 118:23-24 the writer speaks of the day of the Lord’s answer coming to earth in the form of His chosen Messiah, “The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  This wonderful picture became a powerful reality for the people who witnessed Jesus riding on a donkey into Jerusalem as a king centuries later (Matthew 21:1-11). What the Lord promises will come to pass!

Second, there is beauty in a life devoted to the Lord.  When we open our hearts to be filled with God’s presence, we truly become a beautiful masterpiece.  1 Peter 3:4 speaks of the beautiful deposit we need resident and reigning inside us, “Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” So many are filled with the toxicity of the world, but as God’s chosen people we are to be transformed in Christ.  Some operate from places of anger and bitterness, but we flow from a place of love and patience.  Some focus on gain and greed, but we find joy in giving and serving. Some are riddled with fear and anxiety, but we rest in a peace and in the shelter of God’s constant and loving care. 

The Lord’s marvelous ways are on display all around us and abounding in us!