"Beautiful"

The lovely and the beautiful,

The unspoiled and pristine,

The stately and immutable,

They move us when they’re seen.

Whether on majestic mountain,

Or in a desert place,

Or beside a flowing fountain,

Or the prairie’s endless space.

All has its own glory,

It’s brilliance, hue and awe,

And each will tell its story,

Gives strength from which to draw.

And sadly some won’t see it,

Trapped in a man-made cage,

And no one there can free it,

Or their angst assuage.

That’s why we need the cowboy,

To come and show the way,

And lead a country convoy,

And though it might dismay,

With just a little distance,

The air they breathe is clean,

And gone is their resistance,

To what they’ve never seen.

And finally on the mountain,

Or the ocean’s sandy shore,

The worries they were countin’,

Don’t have power anymore.

And in all that’s created,

The Creator soon they see,

Though it might be belated,

The beauty sets them free.

It’s God that makes the beautiful,

An expression of His love,

And often it’s the crucible,

Of healing from above.

“Finally brethren, what is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8, NAS)

There is always something wrong that can distract us from all the beauty that should be our focus. If we are transformed by the renewing of our minds, here is what we ought to be thinking about. The Spirit, using creation, God’s revealed, word in scripture, the blessing of spiritual relationships and so much more directs our thoughts to what is most honorable and pleasing to God. When the beauty of holiness is our habit our lives truly will change.

Lord, fill our thoughts with the beautiful, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mark Maggiori, use by permission. Thanks, Mark, and God bless you.