God’s beauty and our worship
There is nothing like coming to faith for the first time. Whether it happens over a period of time and you are not really sure of the exact moment, or whether you can recall the day, time, location, etc. Those early days of first sight are precious. Seeing God for who he is and beholding his beauty. The state of being enchanted by the glories of his character and nature, of being in awe of his majesty, of being overwhelmed with his love and goodness. Seeing with real sight for the first time and tasting true life. It is in the person of Jesus Christ that we see God more clearly. The more we get to know Jesus, there more our love for him grows. The loveliness of his character - his passion, patience, the gentleness of his heart, draws our worship and devotion and deepens our love for him. One could not imagine that it would get better, but it does.
If you are a believer, I am sure you can relate to the above. It was seeing God in the gospel of Jesus Christ that softened our hearts. God intended for us to know him, and it is the knowledge of his character and nature that are meant to inspire awe in us. The Bible in its entirety is a revelation from God about his character, nature, ways and purpose. In Psalm 145, David praises the Lord for his goodness and generosity. The repetition of “the Lord…”, and the different words used for praise (“extol”, “bless”, “declare your greatness”, “speak”, “pour forth”) are striking in that they draw us in to see the glories and goodness of God.
“The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love”.
David quotes a line from Exodus 34, where Moses asks to see the glory of the Lord and in response to this, the Lord proclaims his name and a description of his character. And Moses worships.
The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made".
The Lord is faithful. He upholds all who fall; He is righteous and kind. He is near to those who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him. He hears and saves. He preserves. He is just.
All these things about God cause David to erupt in praise. It flows from a heart that has seen the beauty of God. We love and worship God because of who he is; we are transformed as we behold him. For no one who has truly seen God remains unchanged. Our worship, love and obedience are not motivated by terror or man-made rules. It is a heart response to God’s glory.
In Jesus and the gospel, we see more clearly. And the more the message of Christ “dwells richly in our hearts” (Colossians 3:16), the more our love and devotion will deepen. This is not automatic, however. I have come to learn it is by reading the Scriptures and meditating on God’s character that I become more aware of him and continue to behold his glory. At conversion, I did not imagine that it could get more glorious and beautiful, but it does!
“And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
And not only that, but when we finally see Jesus face to face, we will see even more clearly!
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
If we want to stoke the fires of our love for the Lord, we ought to let ourselves be ravished by his beauty and let ourselves be enraptured because he is indeed lovely! We do this by persevering in seeking his face in his word, slowing down to contemplate and meditate on him, and doing this side by side with other brothers and sisters. And we depend on the Lord’s grace and love as we do so.
