O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.*
Chapter 4 in FOR HIS GLORY isn’t ready yet so we’ll try this.
Beauty is sensual. It stirs the senses. Thus our inner being is stirred by a glorious sunrise or sunset, a snowcapped mountain, a colorful bird, or a luscious spread of food for example.
God entrusted that capacity to us at great risk. In the Garden, where their human wholeness came from their Spirit-to-spirit relationship with God, it would have drawn them to, and enriched their relationship with, Him. Beauty only had the capacity for good.
But then Satan and sin came and beauty was twisted. Satan is called “beautiful” (Isaiah 14:12-14, Ezekiel 28:12-19), and because of his skill as a deceiver he can make his way appear beautiful.
THEN JESUS CAME
Jesus came to set us free from bondage to Satan. Part of our journey into Christlikeness is that the spirit of our mind is renewed (renovated, Rom. 12:2), enabling us to see beauty as God created it to be because our senses have been sanctified. Part of my prayer is that I grow to appreciate the beauty of holiness in every aspect of life.
THEN COMES JUNE
June is coming, so maybe it’s a good time to get this off my chest. Brides are often described as “beautiful,” and deservedly so. Their natural beauty is typically enhanced by being adorned in various ways and our senses are stirred. I wonder though, why so many Christian brides choose low-cut gowns that display part of their beauty that is to be kept for the delight of their husband alone, a few hours later.
That part of “female” equips her to nurture her baby in the way that only she can, but it is powerful in how it represents her ability to nurture the part of her husband’s masculine soul that needs to be fulfilled in her. Men are so attracted to women’s breasts because they symbolize that nurturing. And women delight in displaying their wares because they hope to win the approval of men that their feminine soul needs for their wholeness, but which is to come from their husbands alone.
All else aside, a modestly dressed woman, bride or otherwise, who is adorned with the gentle and quiet spirit of I Peter 3:4, is the most beautiful of all to both God and a pure-hearted man. Oh, the beauty of holiness!
*Psa. 96:9 kjv
Ken Stoltzfus
Kidron, Ohio USA
April 6, 2022
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