Pastor’s Corner: “The Beauty of His Holiness”
Psalm 27:1-6 (NIV) – 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. 4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Do you try to fit Jesus into your schedule? Or do you work your schedule around Jesus? God cannot fit into our plans, we must fit into his. We can’t use God – God is not a tool or appliance or credit card. Holy is the word that sets God apart and above our attempts to enlist him in our wish-fulfilment fantasies or our utopian schemes for making our mark in the world. Holy means that God is alive on God’s terms, alive in a way that exceeds our experience and imagination. Holy refers to life burning with an intense purity that transforms everything it touches into itself.’
How do we live a life without fear? David had plenty of reasons to be afraid. He was surrounded by enemies, yet he said, ‘I’m fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. How could he be so confident in the face of such opposition? The focus of his life was worship. He focused on ‘one thing’ (v.4). This was his number one priority. He was not trying to fit God into his plans. He made his plans around his first priority of worship. I love the expression “the beauty of the Lord” (verse 4). The Greek word for ‘beauty’ (kalos) is the word used to describe everything that Jesus did (Mark 7:37). Jesus is described as infinitely beautiful and we can see the culmination of His beauty on the cross. Jesus had no outward beauty (Isaiah 53:2–3); he had a different kind of beauty – the beauty of holiness. He was set apart to endure the cross and bring salvation to the world.
LOOK TO THE CROSS. “When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of Glory died; my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.” Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all – It’s the beauty and the shame, It’s the glory and the name, Wonderful Cross – Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful Cross, Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live – Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful Cross – All who gather here by grace, draw near and bless Your name. Have you ever considered Christ as beautiful? Have you ever had an extended time of gazing upon his beauty? We see God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. God has given us spiritual eyes to see, so when we gaze upon Christ we see God’s glory. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace”
We love you and pray the Beauty of His Holiness fill your hearts and minds!
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton and Family