Beholding the Beauty of the Lord

by Tiffany S.
from Virtuous Daughters, June/July 2018~Volume 18, Number 2

Dear Sisters,

I hope this letter finds you delighting in the Lord and rejoicing in the majesty of His character! Lately I have been pondering Psalm 34:1 and asking God to make it a reality in my life: “I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” The Lord is gracious and worthy of our praise!

…The Lord has been teaching me many things this year as I seek to know Him more. Much of what I am learning are basic truths that He has shown me in the past, but I am receiving opportunities to apply it in new ways. :) It is so true that in every season of life, we must continually fix our eyes on Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith, for without Him we can do nothing!
Several months ago, as I contemplated ways to draw closer to the Lord, I had the idea to meditate on an attribute of God each night as I fell asleep. Although I have not been as consistent in this as I would like, it has still been such a blessing to concentrate on His impeccable character. Only by beholding Him are we transformed into His image! “As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness.”--Psalm 17:15

So how do we behold the face of God? How can we set Him always before us (Psalm 16:8)? Obviously, we should seek to “pray without ceasing,” by being in communion with our Lord all throughout the day. We should immerse ourselves in His Word with open hearts eager to learn His truth. Yet in all frankness, I have sometimes been guilty of becoming self-centered in my prayers and Bible reading, asking for personal blessings or searching for personal promises. Of course, the Lord does bless us and offers many promises of hope and encouragement! However, gazing on Christ and truly worshiping Him will cause us to say like David, “One thing have I desired 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 behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in His temple.” (Psalm 37:4) God’s desires become our desires when we are consumed with His greatness rather than ourselves. 

I would encourage you to find some passages of Scripture that highlight the character of God (i.e. Psalm 145, Psalm 34, Isaiah 40, etc.) and pray those words back to the Lord. Also consider choosing one attribute of God to dwell on throughout the day or as you fall asleep each night. It will encourage your heart immensely and you will declare with the psalmist, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable!” (Psalm 145:3) Here are just a few examples...

God is majestic...1 Chronicles 29:11, Psalm 93:11, Psalm 104:1, Hebrews 9:1, 2 Peter 1:16...

God is holy...Exodus 15:11, Psalm 30:4, Psalm 47:8, Psalm 97:12...

God is merciful...Exodus 34:6, Nehemiah 9:31, Psalm 116:5, Jeremiah 3:12, Luke 6:36, Psalm 136:1...

God is unchangeable...Malachi 3:6, Psalm 102:24-27, James 1:17, Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 13:8

God is wise...Job 9:4, Romans 16:27, Proverbs 3:19, Romans 11:33, Ephesians 1:8, Colossians 2:3...

God is almighty...Job 42:1-2, Jeremiah 32:17, Matthew 19:26, Revelation 19:6...


This is just a glimpse! It is also good to sing hymns that concentrate His attributes, such as “Holy, Holy, Holy,” “Fairest Lord Jesus,” and “The Love of God.” Learning to worship the Lord is a wonderful journey, and I long to worship Him in spirit and truth. A book that has helped me in this endeavor is How to Worship Jesus Christ by Joseph Carroll. I highly recommend it!

May the Lord bless you, dear sisters, as you fix your eyes on Jesus and rejoice in His greatness!
Love in Christ,
Tiffany