Apr | 09 | Buff & Beautiful in His Sight

Key Word:- BECOME

Title:- Buff & Beautiful in His Sight

Isaiah 4:2 In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious;

Some years ago now, the beach of Pensacola Florida, became to me a ‘Beach of Beginnings’ when I met with God there in a very special way. I revisited there a few years later and driving from Kentucky, my journey led me through three state lines before my arrival. The state tag line that arrested my attention the most, was while leaving the ‘Volunteer State’ of Tennessee and being welcomed into ‘Alabama the Beautiful!’

‘Alabama the Beautiful!’ How lovely.

The Bible has a lot to say about true beauty, indeed, one of the gates of the temple was called ‘The Beautiful Gate.’ According to Josephus, this 'Beautiful Gate' was covered with plates of Corinthian brass and was the entrance to the court of women. Isn’t that appropriate? For as men desire to be buff, muscular and handsome, women desire to be beautiful. Oh yes you do!

For those not so naturally endowed or genetically landscaped in neither the buff nor the beautiful, plastic surgery, nips and tucks, hormones and supplements, all for the right price of course, can help make outward beauty somewhat possible. Today, it is not beyond our capability to radically alter a person’s outward appearance. It is however, completely beyond us, without grace and truth that is, to change a persons heart; which is their true inward appearance. Friends, the old adage still rings true, “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugliness runs clean through!” Skilled hands and a sharp knife can always deal with skin around the body, but it takes another set of loving hands and different kind of a cutting knife, to ever deal with sin around the heart.

Inner beauty still requires corrective surgery you know and under God’s sharp and fiery knife, the laser like Word, both cuts and sears at the same time; whilst like a hammer, it also mashes moulds and mightily manipulates the messy bones of the inner man, over time, thus transforming us from leperous wretches to lovely and beautiful beings of God. Tell me, do you think such inner spiritual surgery requires less or more surgical preparation and less or more, recovery time? There is a great work going on inside you Christian! Do not be surprised if sometimes you find yourself on your back in a bit of a spiritual I.C.U. and dangling from a drip! For God's deep work of the heart will 'mess' with you for sure.

Listen: - Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it! (1 Thess 5:23,24)

Pray: - Do it Lord. Despite my cries and tears, sanctify me through and through. Make me Beautiful in Your sight O Lord! In Jesus name I pray, Amen.