One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. (Ps 27:4 ESV)
Although the world we live in suffers under the effects of sin, there is still much beauty that remains in it to encourage and uplift the heart. The golden rays of the sun that peak over the mountaintops at dawn’s first light, the gentle lapping of the turquoise waters surrounding a tropical island against gleaming white sand beaches, the flashing pinpoints of light beaming from millions of stars spectating the earth set against a swirling backdrop of purple nebulae and burning galaxies illuminating the darkness of the night sky—all these are spectacular enough to rob us of our breath with their beauty. And we are entranced not just with the vivid interplay of light, colors, and serenity, but also by the absolute grandeur of what is on display.
Yet despite all these magnificent displays of glory, the ultimate desire of the psalmist is not to spend an eternity gazing at creation’s most brilliant works. Nor does he wish to be enthralled with any human beauty such as that of a bride adorned in her wedding day finery. No, the ultimate desire of the Psalmist is to satiate his thirst for beauty by spending all of eternity gazing upon the magnificent, unsurpassed beauty of the Lord God himself. And when we meditate deeply on the splendor of our God as revealed in His precious Word, our hearts can also resonate with the Psalmist’s eternal longing.
The Lord our God is beautiful in his infinite perfections. Perfect in power, perfect in his wisdom, perfect in his conduct, justice, mercy and kindness towards sinful, fallen human beings. The pool of his infinite steadfast love has no bottom and those who plunge themselves into the depths of the divine perfection will find not the inky blackness of our earthly oceans’ depths, but rather an increasing brightness, glory, and warmth that will enrapture and enliven any thirsty soul. There in the depths of God’s perfect love can God-seekers find eternal hope and security with no hint of fear. No moral blemish or spot sullies the One who clothes himself in light as a garment, for the God whose eyes are too pure to look on evil has never even for a moment polluted his perfect purity with the stain of any evil thought. And every single one of his righteous works of gracious redemption in leading sinners to repentance is greeted with festal shouts from an entire army of angelic light warriors (Luke 15:7).
The Lord our God is also beautiful in his unique three-in-oneness. Each of the three eternal persons have no beginning nor end. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit possess infinite love for one another that finds its origins in eternity past and will continue in an unbroken bond for all of eternity future. Never has a single cross word been spoken between the members of the Godhead. No disagreements, quarrels, or sin have ever tarnished their immortal fellowship. All three who are yet one, speak and move throughout eternity in complete harmony in all their thoughts and deeds. In perfect unity, they wove the fabric of redemption for Adam’s fallen race in a synchronized performance on the stage of human history that the greatest troupe of dancers can never hope to imitate. Each has displayed the incomparable beauty of a God who saves in their unique roles in the work of redemption—the Father from his throne, the Son from the cross, and the Spirit in the hearts of those who have believed.
The beauty of Jesus Christ in his sacrificial work on the cross is without comparison. When we look at the scars and battle wounds of courageous individuals who fought to defend their country and those they loved, do we not see a beauty that is more than skin deep? Are we not attracted to the beauty of spirit that such individuals possess—beauty that can only be seen with the eyes of the heart? How much more beautiful are the nail-scarred hands of our Lord Jesus Christ! Hands that were nailed open wide to receive and carry the unbearable weight of the wrath of God so that all who would believe in Him would never have to bear the impossible burden of our punishment for our sins. How beautiful is our Saviour’s side where doubting Thomas placed his hands! For the fountain of the Lamb of God’s precious blood that was opened by the Roman soldier’s spear has healed the incurable wounds that sin inflicted on us!
Believer, if in this life, you have little rest, or your heart is filled with sorrow, or perhaps your mind is weary from fatigue or your body racked with pain, know that one day you will cease from your labours when you arrive in the heavenly city of Zion. There your eyes will finally behold the king in his beauty (Is 33:17), all because of the spotless Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. In that day, you will see the beautiful and glorious face of the One whom your soul loves and your joy will be complete. So, come and throw off every sin that entangles so closely and run the race marked out for you that you may enter the rest of God and receive your soul’s ultimate reward—an eternal life of joy and peace, gazing into the magnificent beauty of heaven’s infinitely wise and glorious king, forever.
Article by: Samuel Chua
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