Isaiah 62:3, You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
I recently have seen the wedding gown of my dear daughter. She was wearing it and made that dress look wonderful. I was immediately drawn back to her first wearing of a night gown, when she was about a year old. She had worn onesies for sleeping and it was customary for Dad to see her after she was ready for bed. I have always enjoyed being a father in spite of its intermittent challenges. On her first venture with her new night night-gown, I remember thinking how much she had grown in such a short period of time. She was still quite young, but even then, I couldn’t get back the time that had gone by. I loved holding my daughter until she slipped off to sleep. Carrying her when she was tired or just needed to be taller to see something.
Since she is getting married this summer, Lord willing, she has been going through all of the preparations for that event. It’s a pleasure to see her and Zach working together for such a wonderful event and the history that will follow. As any father, I am praying for peace, happiness, and spiritual growth from this eventual union. As I saw her trying on her dress, I was reminded of her value and her beauty. She may always be my “little girl,” but she is also a young lady – soon to be a wife. I am truly happy for both of them. Lydia’s mother and I have prayed for Zach to come along before Lydia was even delivered to us. God is good and He sent us a Godly young man with a great heart for God.
Beauty is more than just an aesthetic to momentarily marvel at. Beauty is a reminder of intensely hard work on someone’s part. In this case, it is God’s magnificent blessing to be an integral part of a person’s life. But the beauty is always going to be “her” and not what she adorns herself with. People are not beautiful because of the clothing or jewelry they wear. They are beautiful because they are what God created them to be. Satan has convinced the world that “material” is what makes the person. He lies incessantly. People are always the pinnacle of creation. Only man is made in His image.
Beauty is beauty, whether the eye beholds it or not. To some even Jesus was not seen as beautiful. He was God on earth and most have just ignored or even attempted to destroy His image. Even today there are those misguided souls who believe that man would be better off without the presence of God. “Man” alone is never a good judge of value. Most of the time he is either blind, or somehow restricted in his ability to see beyond himself. Until we learn to walk by faith and not by sight we will always be lost, and ever the victim of our own foolish philosophies.
Beauty to God is completely an issue of spirituality. It has nothing to do with genetics, or possessions, or physical appearance or ability. It has to do with the heart that resides within us and our willingness to live out His purpose. It is a disconnect that causes man to miss the mark – to sin. We become focused on the wrong things and attribute worth to all the wrong reasons. Physical beauty is a blessing, but substance is where the value is.
Are we what we should be in the eyes of God? Have we wandered far from the place of worth He intends for us? Real beauty is not found in the make-up aisle, or the wardrobe area of the mall. It will never be achieved in some work-out routine. Real beauty is man living according to God’s will in this dark world. Being beautiful to God involves faithful obedience and willful dedication. Are you willing to live for the Father? If so, beauty is guaranteed! Be beautiful…