Gazing On The Beauty of the Lord

This is Chris Hughes with the Christian perspective podcast with Chris use.

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They were to talk about gazing on the beauty of the Lord. James that's right out of Psalm 27 for as you say. I mean David actually see the Lord in the temple. It makes you wonder doesn't Psalm 27 forces. One thing I asked 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. Wow, what a beautiful passage. It really is the packet. At first, many believe that this Psalm was written when David was on the run from Saul and it really makes sense because David said something like this to Saul when when Saul was trying to kill them in first Samuel 2620 he says must I die on foreign soil, far from the board meeting, telling Saul this and what you see and that is longing to be in the presence of God who dwells uniquely there in the tabernacle in Israel. This is interesting that David would would write this because of course the temple hasn't been built yet and you don't think David also would be able to go into the holy of holies of the tabernacle because he wasn't a high priest, but you can imagine from the way Moses spoke to God and in Israel's history that God somehow must have made himself visible, but there's more happening here and I think what what David is talking about is is something that you can't see with your physical eyes with David was likely talk about.

I'm sure was meditating on the beauty of the Lord. Certainly gazing on him with all his heart yet that's right. And yet the question is, why use language like that and I think the answer is because this is more than just a metaphor. There's really something to it and what that is, we don't want to miss. Let me start with the question what do you do when you gaze at someone. It's like you're doing nothing else, I'm not talking you're not moving around your eyes are set on the one you're looking at right so what David is doing here is sitting still and looking on the Lord in his heart. I think this is so important for us to keep in mind first because we can do it anywhere. Second, because he is with us and we are temples of the Holy Spirit is his word tells us not just nicely think of the song of songs, which is my favorite books is such a beautiful allegory what it means to love God and to be loved by him and you see a lot of gazing in that book.

It's all about a love relationship and gazing really has a lot to do with a really good so let let's talk about how to do this because they can see maybe a little esoteric or even mystical to some, and I don't think God wants it to be that way at all. We we just need to take this Psalm at its face value and just go there. Now let's go there because we do use that language a lot like the old hymn, turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face and the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace that I heard like we were saying earlier gazing upon the beauty of the Lord has to do with shutting everything else down and sitting still and if you think about that.

We don't do it that much except maybe in one place and are just a lot of times adults are looking at screens whether it's a TV or computer or man lot of people's phones. That's where we do most of our gazing right so I think it's good to point that out because we know we are able to do it right even though that's with our physical eyes.

Our imaginations are also involved and were gazing we may be thinking about storylines and you were on the web or other photos working about where were going to go next. But what were gazing so we can actually use that to our advantage. So first, take a moment quietly with the Lord somewhere and just think about his love. It helps to have your Bible open on your lap and maybe let a phrase from his word just kind of take you there when you're spending time with them and then you don't realize you spoken to you in his word and just sit there and and love him just love him from the heart. Then just close your eyes and be with him. Don't worry about words. Remember that when you gazing you are doing anything else, so this can be praying without words as well. You might, you know you might imagine something if you like something beautiful from Jesus life like his opening the eyes of a blind person.

Or you might just imagine the space or nothing or you might just sit quietly and just rest in his presence. If it's not so much a matter of seeing. Interestingly, gazing this way. As of being just being with him. How do you think that might sound a little like Obi-Wan Kenobi with the force of Jesus is think about it. How often do we take the time to just do nothing other than enjoy his presence and think about the Westminster confession, you know, which is what the chief end of human to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

So often only pray it's about requests. And you're right, we need to set aside our agendas. Yeah, this is this is about loving him, letting our hearts go to him in love. One reason David talks about the beauty of the Lord because he is beautiful and we do this we seek in this way he will be found by us and we will see more of him and more of his beauty and looking for. Think about it.

There is no one more beautiful than, because it is the source of all and everything that we see in beauty is only of really a pale reflection of what he really is exactly right.

And that's one of the things that is going to be so good about being in heaven I think were going to be able to gaze and gaze in gay and never come to an end of looking at God's wonder if it is and can be boring at all to be absolutely enthralling. You're not gonna want to look away and we talked about that before I count is that we can stand the look at something like the Grand Canyon for so long to win this.

It's just a hole in the ground and that yeah that's right. How do you think about Paul's words. You know, seeing only a poor reflection you know when one day will see face to face. So why not start looking now. I think that is something that pleases God and blesses us when we do it.

So James, I would drop things of the prayer.

I would like to really get going on that father, help us to see open heart and hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you to pray. This is the Truth Network