"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us" Psalm 90:17
This beauty is something that should be sought. For our text is a prayer; and as I pondered over it, I found myself realising that we pray for many things, if we pray at all; but I wonder if you have ever prayed this prayer - 'Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us'. Has it ever entered into your mind and heart that this is something that God wants you to seek?
I find that sometimes the conception of the purpose of God in the minds of Evangelicals is far too inadequate and narrow. We think of it in terms of the orthodoxy of our faith: we forget the Christlikeness of our life. We think in terms, it may be of full churches, of increased giving, or a converted husband; or it may be in terms of converted and consecrated children. These are all very excellent, and within the scope of the purpose of God; but have you ever prayed for beauty of character? Have you ever asked for loveliness of life?
'Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us'. It is something that should be sought, because it is the purpose of our God - 'He will beautify the meek with salvation' Ps.149:4. But also, because I find it in the person of our Lord. For the prayer is 'Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us' How many of us have sung the chorus, 'Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me......' If there is any beauty in our Lord, if He is the altogether lovely One, and if the Lord be in me, then surely the beauty should be seen - not the beauty of innocence, but of purity; not the beauty of inaction to be admired, but the beauty of compassionate love in action and in manner. What God is seeking is that we should live lives of radiant loveliness in Christ.
This beauty is something that should be sought. For our text is a prayer; and as I pondered over it, I found myself realising that we pray for many things, if we pray at all; but I wonder if you have ever prayed this prayer - 'Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us'. Has it ever entered into your mind and heart that this is something that God wants you to seek?
I find that sometimes the conception of the purpose of God in the minds of Evangelicals is far too inadequate and narrow. We think of it in terms of the orthodoxy of our faith: we forget the Christlikeness of our life. We think in terms, it may be of full churches, of increased giving, or a converted husband; or it may be in terms of converted and consecrated children. These are all very excellent, and within the scope of the purpose of God; but have you ever prayed for beauty of character? Have you ever asked for loveliness of life?
'Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us'. It is something that should be sought, because it is the purpose of our God - 'He will beautify the meek with salvation' Ps.149:4. But also, because I find it in the person of our Lord. For the prayer is 'Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us' How many of us have sung the chorus, 'Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me......' If there is any beauty in our Lord, if He is the altogether lovely One, and if the Lord be in me, then surely the beauty should be seen - not the beauty of innocence, but of purity; not the beauty of inaction to be admired, but the beauty of compassionate love in action and in manner. What God is seeking is that we should live lives of radiant loveliness in Christ.
