What is Beauty?

Lord, I pray that You would give me the “incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious” in Your sight…1 Peter 3:4.

It is good for us to pray this, but we should also hold fast to this word as well!
In doing that we find we need courage to keep doing, keep looking into the eyes of Jesus and behold Him.  For what we look on and hold in our hearts is what we become. You like watching vampires, and the walking dead, well, you might look like one of them very soon.

For me, I like mysteries in like a "who done it" type show or movie. And there are times I have to say no to them. My husband, well, he can take them or leave them, but for me, I must really work to say No to watching those kind of things all the time!

In the passage below we look at the power of God and saving people. In this vital scene, we are reminded that we like to be on the winning side, right? We all went to high school and experienced some rejection, some deep pain maybe by someone speaking ill against you or by implying something that was wrong about you. In high school, you either fit their mold or you had to create another group of people to hang out with. But to me, school was not about the 'crowd' but about getting my diploma. It was not about how many friends I might or might not have, but that I kept a focus for that which I worked at for 12 years.  My reward was going to be my diploma!

In the case of Jesus, He was rejected by the masses. Oh surely He had people to follow Him and even had a meal served to them in the wilderness as no stores were close enough and held enough bread to be bought, so Jesus prayed and had the disciples hand out the crumbs............but boy, those many crumbs expanded to feed thousands.

What is beauty and where is it found?

Well, it is not found on T.V. or at the movies. Mother Theresa came close but still not close enough like the beauty of the Lord who I behold. 

Isaiah 53:1-3

Who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 

2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,

And as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form or comeliness;

And when we see Him,

There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 

3 He is despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. NKJV

Out of a dry place Jesus appeared. He wore no robes of royalty. Had no diadems mentioned. No he was not regarded.

He walked along a river, the Jordan, and met John there to be baptized.

What now was His name? Oh yes, Jesus the Christ whose power no foe can withstand.

Tall, yes,most likely and probably had long hair! But His face held peace in it. His countenance of love spoke volumes. A reprover, yes indeed. Authentic, and attracted to saving lost souls. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter without reluctance. He did not blame others, but took the blows. Not only beaten but sent to the cross as well, and his scourging was severe. His destination a tomb or so many thought.

Psalm 38:13-14...13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;

And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth. 

14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear,

And in whose mouth is no response.  NKJV

Would you shrink from that? Not a smooth place of skin remained on his body. Wronged and abused, he was the oppressed, died for mankind, and then walked out of the Tomb. His triumph over death, hell and the grave came through humiliation. It was not about Him, but about the Father!

Psalm 90:14-17

14 Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,

That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! 

15 Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,

The years in which we have seen evil. 

16 Let Your work appear to Your servants,

And Your glory to their children. 

17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,

And establish the work of our hands for us;

Yes, establish the work of our hands. NKJV

Let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us.....a beauty that is of His divine character. It is in that beauty, that we are held in and in that we see people's hearts won for Jesus. It is in His excellence of character, that the beauty of the Lord will shine through us when we allow it to happen.  In holding Jesus before us and looking into His way, truth and life.......we constantly see the loveliness of life established before us.  In this prayer above, we see the main heartfelt desire............that they reach that which they were destined. When we choose to speak what He speaks and act as He would act, then we carry out His purpose for our lives. And it is one that comes with established favor.

Charles Spurgeon wrote this: Revenge, lust, ambition, pride and self-will are too often exalted as the god's of man's idolatry; while holiness, peace, contentment, and humility are viewed as unworthy of a serious thought.

Seriously thinking we are to come to God's thoughts and His ways....they are much higher!

When you move on down the passage you find how the rain and the snow come down from heaven....the earth is watered and begins to bud and flourish. In that which God provides we gain seed. We are to sow that seed. And in His Word that goes from our speaking His Word, we find purpose. We go out in joy and are led forth in His peace.

In doing for the Lord, minding His thoughts is foremost and then act on what you have spoken from His word. If you are the healed, then act like you are the healed. Go do something you could not do before you read this.

For keeping God before us we come to the garden He planned for us. We do not leave empty handed and have more than enough to share with others. We are elated to be going to worship God with others and look how we might pray even more for our communities and for people's lives to be touched by the beauty of the Lord.

Isaiah 55: 10-13.....10 As the rain and the snow 

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it 

without watering the earth 

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire 

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 

12 You will go out in joy 

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills 

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field 

will clap their hands. 

13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the LORD's renown,

for an everlasting sign,

which will not be destroyed." NIV 

I leave you with this today. You have every opportunity to become poetry in God's mouth and His Words. The reality you face should be the open door where you are the inspired and the delighted. In this poem of you, God speaks loudly. You were set to live in this day and in this hour. To receive Jesus as Savior, you move to the head of the class to find out even more of what your life involves. Eternity: well, you have just begun to find out how long that really is.

Of you, a gem of beauty, oh so serene, born into the family of God. Who can fathom His goodness for you? You become the sweet to someone's bitterness. You value those who are the talented. You even explore their exquisite gems, so lovely, and you encouraged them to continue and become what God planned. Your talent took you to speak to someone's success. Your capable heart sent out words to lift and guide. And the prayers you prayed: well, they are all being answered by God one by one! You blossom in the beauty that is you. Not by being you, but Who God planned for you that looks just like you do!

What is beauty? Beauty is that which binds the God of peace, the God of healing, the God of victory to everything we find ourselves in this hour. It is found in the broken, the forgotten, the misplaced, the scattered, the wind-driven, and in the darkness of prisons. Beauty is where we take Jesus and meet others in the grace bestowed upon us. 

Walk out your door today, and find that place to take the beauty of the Lord. You might be surprised where it will take you! Amen!

Notice: 

The Voice of Prayer  has a new teaching published:

The Glory of the Latter Rain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44w_A_1IBgg



You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at  http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV

The Wise or the Foolish

Psalm 90:11-12..........11 Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom. NKJV

When we read through the book of Proverbs we find a lot on the differences of the wise and the foolish. An individual, either male or female will have a disposition, a marked trait that points to their upbringing in a specific area and having qualities that make them distinct from other people. We have short hair, curly hair, blonde hair or even gray hair but that does not mean who we are as a person We grow up learning a certain language, the integrity or lack of integrity, a strength or bent towards having a heritage that shows in a respect to serving God, or lack of serving God in regard to whatever nation we are born.

I may resemble my dad more than I favor my mom. I may have his hair coloring, and shape of his face but my nose resembles my mom's nose. I may tell the stories my dad would tell when I was a child. I may favor him in many ways, but in truth, I am to look for truth, and it is seeking God's wisdom for my life.

We are either known by a reputation that proceeds us, what comes out of our mouths, and either we are at peace where we are positioned in life or outwardly always striving with others. Yes, we are known by our character.
Whatever that personality is and how one reacts to that around them, will certainly tell others a lot about them. If all hell is breaking loose, do we remain at peace in God or do we yell and throw things?
Is what comes out of our mouth glorifying God or ourself? Is what I say encouraging to others and their lives?
In my estimation, I believe the greatest gift besides our salvation in Jesus Christ is to have a heart of wisdom. We can turn on the evening news and find a lot of chaos, and we find those choosing to have it their way and kill others. We find others choosing to quarrel about something rather than sitting down and talking about the situation.
Proverbs 15:5 tells us that a fool despises his father's instruction, but he who that is yielding to correction is prudent.

My question is: are we foolish or are we wise?
Foolish: from the Greek word "Moros", which one who is stupid or dull.

Proverbs 12:15.....15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise. NKJV

The scripture states that one who walks as a fool is doing what feels right in his own eyes. But to be wise according to this verse means that one is to heed counsel of the wise. God's word is filled with counsel to lead us into peace and a smooth pathway.
Psalm 27:11-12........11 Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence. NIV

If I follow after the wisdom of God, I stay on a straight path. When I heed His correction and teaching I stay in a safe place that guards me by His Word.

James 3:17-18....17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. NKJV

Always asking God for “the wisdom that comes from heaven [ which ] is first of all pure, peaceable (peace-loving), considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere”

According to this scripture verse, God's wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy AND GOOD FRUIT!

Do our lives mirror this scripture?

Do we have the fruit that looks like a peacemaker, a wise man or woman who holds back our feelings? Or are we the hypocrite.............oh my!

Matthew 5:14-16………..14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. NKJV

Jesus said that we are to BE A “light of the world”. Are men seeing our light shine for Jesus or ourselves……?

John 8:12…………….12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." NKJV

Jesus is the source of our “light”.

So is my “light” shining, flickering or just burned out?

Have we lost our purpose? Is life’s storm blowing like a “NOR' EASTER” against our “light”?

Have we neglected to keep that light shining for all to see?

If it is like a Nor'easter blowing against our light, we know that these specific storms can occur the year around, but are stronger and more intense in the months of September through April.

Problems can come and go in our lives. But trouble should never overtake us for we are to be overcomers according to the word of God.   1 John 4:4-6.................4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
NIV

What are some ways that God’s light shines through our lives?

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 ……………4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. NKJV

His light is to shine in our hearts for it is God who commanded for light to shine out of darkness. When we renounce the shame, the dishonor, and receive His mercy, when we choose to walk in His ways that are right and are upright in the eyes of God, our hearts are no longer veiled. We see clearly to walk in His light and learn the knowledge of His glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

If we can look into the face of our children, and learn their ways and know their good and bad traits………..surely we can know and recognize a good God. Surely if our focus will turn towards YOU our Father and read YOUR word and apply it to our lives, we can inhale YOUR presence and see YOUR wisdom in our daily decision making. For everything we do, in line with God's Word will show the world we are different. We will stand and pray for others when all hell is breaking loose.

We will not flaunt ourselves before the world, but raise the Word of God and expect to see His faithfulness in our lives and those we love and pray for each day.

Proverbs 4:7-9................7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor." NIV

No, we do not have to flaunt ourselves but it is God who will exalt us when we highly esteem His wisdom. Though it cost all we have, when we esteem and delight in wisdom, to embrace it and not let go, then we will see ourselves come to a place of honor as she sets a garland of grace on our heads and present us with a crown splendor.  We become the one whom the Lord delights in and the one whom the Lord brings honor to in His love and mercy for us. We are then, no longer the forsaken and the the one of reproach.

Proverbs 29:11...... A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back. NKJV

When we refuse to believe that we are always right in our own eyes, but seek the counsel of God’s word we find more peace and wisdom. When we are willing to receive instruction then we become those who will hear, and not react but give time for God to speak and our prayers to work when we pursue the justice of God for any situation. When we choose to not strive with others, we become the peacemaker.

Father, today we have the choice of being a fool or the wise. I pray in Jesus' name, that we be those who will be the wise for we understand that any fool can start a quarrel. (Prov. 20:3) May Your Light shine in and through us this day and everyday. We renounce the shame and receive Your mercy. Today I pray that all would choose to walk in ways that are right and upright in YOUR eyes O'God. May we expect to see YOUR faithfulness in our lives and in those we pray for today and every day.Your Word God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.(Psalm 119:105)  I thank YOU today for godly Christian counselors, godly parents, godly pastors, wise friends and fellow believers that YOU our Father have placed around us when we see the necessity to make some major decisions for our lives. May our walk in YOUR wisdom be to YOUR honor and glory. May we always heed Your counsel and shun the advice of the world. Let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify You our Father in heaven. Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV