“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.” (Psalm 27:4)

I was recently reading Steve DeWitt’s book, “Eyes Wide Open: Enjoying God in Everything” and was given a fresh insight into my view of God.  DeWitt spends the first part of his book talking about the fact the God is beautiful.  I have to be honest.  I hadn’t really considered that.  I have thought of God as holy, righteous, and just.  I have always viewed God as gracious, loving and forgiving.  I have pondered the omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful) and omni-present nature of God.  But his beauty?  I hadn’t really thought about that.

But it makes sense.  Whenever I see love in its purest form, I know that it must have its roots in God, for “God is love” (I John 4:8).  In a similar way, as I look at the world around me which has been created by God and stand in awe of its beauty, does it not make sense that its beauty came from someone who is infinitely beautiful?

As DeWitt writes, “What if the Grand Canyon isn’t just a hole in the ground but an expression of divine vastness?…What if we were to realize that every sunset viewed, every sexual intimacy enjoyed, every favorite food savored, every song sung or listened to, every home decorated, and every rich moment enjoyed in this life isn’t ultimately about itself but is an expression and reflection of God’s essential character?  Wouldn’t such beautiful and desirable reflections mean that their Source must be even more beautiful – and, ultimately, more desirable?” (Eyes Wide Open, p. 8)

God has told us that “his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature” are “clearly perceived” in “the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20), but it seems clear that God’s beauty is also evident.

I encourage you to take a fresh look at the world around you – the mountains, the beaches, the stars, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds and fish, the face of a baby – and enjoy not just the beauty of God’s creation, but appreciate them as a reflection of God’s ultimate beauty.  If this world contains so much beauty, what must it be like to be in the very presence of God?  The thought is overwhelming.  Like David, I pray:

“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.” (Psalm 27:4)