YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!

SEASON OF NEW BEGINNINGS

The last couple of weeks brought glorious sunshine to the north of England, and this corner of the planet looked radiant in its spring clothes. (Ok, so it is snowing at the moment..!)

​How do we, the children of God, fit into all this beauty?
​

What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honour.
[Psalm 8:4-5 NKJV]
 
For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
[Psalm 139:13-14]
 
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.
[Psalm 90:17 NKJV]
 
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...
[Isaiah 28:5 NKJV]
 
(The Lord will) provide for those who grieve in Zion--
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendour.
[Isaiah 61:3]
 
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory,
just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
[2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV]​

Several years ago, the Dove Brand ran this telling advert.
​I wonder, which door would you choose?

​Obviously, this clip was advertising the brand range of 'beauty products'; however, the central message is true. Every one of us should walk through the 'Beautiful' door, because we were created in the image of God Himself. It is only living in a fallen world which makes us feel like we have fallen short in the beauty stakes.

The Bible, as always, has an answer to our anxieties. It does not matter whether we are fat or thin, tall or short, young or old. The colour of our skin, and our physical attributes are also immaterial, for we are told that it is Christ in us which is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

It is His beauty which radiates from inside-out, through the Holy Spirit living within. And it is His beauty which we wear, like a crown, His blood covering all our imperfections.

Listen quietly to what the Father says...

WHO AM I REALLY?
Answering the question of who we are is fundamental to internal rest. Uncertainty about personal identity results in low self-esteem and is a huge stress-producer. Click on the heading to read more.

​​​THIS WEEK’S GRACE RHYTHM

Take time to spend quietly with the Father. Listen to what He has to say to you...

NEXT WEEK: LESSON IN A FIG TREE
Investigating the curious story of Jesus and the fig tree...

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[Photo credits: Karl Fredrickson (girl in pink); Christian Buehner (woman on phone) ​@ Unsplash, with thanks].