{"id":7829,"date":"2016-02-03T09:15:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-03T14:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=7829"},"modified":"2016-02-03T09:33:42","modified_gmt":"2016-02-03T14:33:42","slug":"worship-wednesday-you-are-beautiful-and-we-are-made-in-your-image","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=7829","title":{"rendered":"Worship Wednesday – You Are Beautiful, God…and We Are Made in Your Image"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Blog<\/a>Photo Credit: Desert’s End<\/a><\/p>\n

One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD<\/strong> and to meditate in His temple.<\/span><\/em> – Psalm 27:4<\/a><\/p>\n

Before coffee this morning, I stretched myself awake. No note-to-self was perched on my keyboard. No song to highlight on today’s blog had come to mind. In the dark of this morning, this moment, quiet in my bed, the thought “You are beautiful” came to mind. Oh God! You are so beautiful!<\/p>\n

We are surrounded\u00a0by beauty in this life of ours. The glories of\u00a0nature that stop us in our\u00a0tracks to take it in. The faces of those we love\u00a0who incredibly love us. The great satisfactions of pay for our labor, work that\u00a0can make a difference, and rest when we’re weary. So much beauty in life – even in the midst of suffering. In fact, it is sometimes in the midst of suffering that the beauty of God is most evident – as we discover His presence in the resilience\u00a0of the human spirit, the community that rallies, and the reach of outstretched hands.<\/p>\n

How beautiful the works of God, but more beautiful God Himself. Mercy and justice perfectly blended. Love beyond anything of our understanding.\u00a0Complete in the unity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Impossible for me to grasp and yet\u00a0more real\u00a0than anything else in this life.<\/p>\n

Wednesday morning often includes a walk around my neighborhood, but not today. Without my notice, the rain came to wash away the rest of the snow. Stepping out of the house, and seeing the rain, I made a quick retreat back in…but not without taking in the sky and capturing a shaky panorama of that dense gray. \"Blog<\/a>If you click on the image, you notice a bird sitting atop a branch of one of those sturdy oaks. Like that bird, we are so small taking in the vastness of this beautiful world God has made for us. This created beautiful thing we call home for now. How much more beautiful is the\u00a0One who created\u00a0all this vastness – yet a tiny marble in His universe.<\/p>\n

He is beautiful. You are beautiful, God…and You\u00a0call us beautiful simply made in Your image<\/a> and as we radiate Your glory<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I wrote before (here<\/a>) about the beauty of God, focusing on the song You’re Beautiful<\/em>\u00a0by Phil Wickham. Another song that comes to mind, thinking of the beauty of God is MercyMe’s Beautiful<\/a>. <\/em>This song actually focuses on our beauty. How hard it can be to focus on the beauty of God when we feel so broken ourselves! He has made us beautiful… I wish\u00a0we could hold up a mirror to each other, struggling in whatever our hard places are today, such that\u00a0we could see ourselves as God sees us. MercyMe has done that in the song Beautiful<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Mark Altrogge<\/a> wrote\u00a0the song, I Stand In Awe of You<\/em>,\u00a0almost 30 years ago. I remember singing it during our years of living in Cairo, Egypt. We worshipped with other believers and seekers, foreigners and Egyptians together,\u00a0(at Heliopolis Community Church). \"Blog<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo Credit: HCC Cairo<\/a><\/p>\n

Hearing this song in various accents would remind me afresh of what it will be one day when we see\u00a0God in Heaven, When our eyes of faith will be made sight<\/a>…and we see Him as He is…”beautiful beyond description”.<\/p>\n

Worship<\/a> with me:<\/p>\n

You are beautiful beyond description<\/strong>
\nToo marvelous for words
\nToo wonderful for comprehension
\nLike nothing ever seen or heard
\nWho can grasp Your infinite wisdom?
\nWho can fathom the depth of Your love?
\nYou are beautiful beyond description
\nMajesty enthroned above<\/p>\n

And I stand, I stand in awe of You
\nI stand, I stand in awe of You
\nHoly God to Whom all praise is due
\nI stand in awe of You*<\/p>\n