01 June 2019

A Few Thoughts on Beauty


When people speak of beauty, they are usually referring to physical beauty of people, but that’s not what I’m writing about.
Julie Roys has an article titled, “The Necessity of Beauty When Confronting Evil.” She writes:
I was discussing this struggle once with a close friend, and he urged me that especially considering my work as an investigative journalist, I need to take in beauty as a regular discipline. At first, that seemed odd. Take in beauty? What does that even mean?
Yet, it’s Scriptural. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” I’ve found that the more I practice this discipline of beauty, the healthier my soul becomes.
So now, I try to take in beauty daily by running on a beautiful path, picking flowers and putting them in vases throughout the house, watching an inspirational movie, or reading the Psalms.
God is a God of beauty
C1 Priestly garments: Exodus 28:2 NET You must make holy garments for your brother Aaron, for glory and for beauty.
C2 Preaching the Gospel: Romans 10:15 NLT And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"
C3 The New Jerusalem: Revelation 21:11-14, 18, 20-21 NLT It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone--like jasper as clear as crystal. The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. There were three gates on each side--east, north, south, and west. The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. ... The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. ... the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were made of pearls--each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.
C4 The restored Garden of Eden, now in the New Jerusalem: Revelation 22:1-2 NLT Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.


This world is cursed because of sin, yet much beauty remains.
Take time to enjoy beauty.

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