Loveliness of Life

[cavell]

"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us" Psalm 90:17

This beauty is something that should be sought. For our text is a prayer; and as I pondered over it, I found myself realising that we pray for many things, if we pray at all; but I wonder if you have ever prayed this prayer - 'Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us'. Has it ever entered into your mind and heart that this is something that God wants you to seek?

I find that sometimes the conception of the purpose of God in the minds of Evangelicals is far too inadequate and narrow. We think of it in terms of the orthodoxy of our faith: we forget the Christlikeness of our life. We think in terms, it may be of full churches, of increased giving, or a converted husband; or it may be in terms of converted and consecrated children. These are all very excellent, and within the scope of the purpose of God; but have you ever prayed for beauty of character? Have you ever asked for loveliness of life?

'Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us'. It is something that should be sought, because it is the purpose of our God - 'He will beautify the meek with salvation' Ps.149:4. But also, because I find it in the person of our Lord. For the prayer is 'Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us' How many of us have sung the chorus, 'Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me......' If there is any beauty in our Lord, if He is the altogether lovely One, and if the Lord be in me, then surely the beauty should be seen - not the beauty of innocence, but of purity; not the beauty of inaction to be admired, but the beauty of compassionate love in action and in manner. What God is seeking is that we should live lives of radiant loveliness in Christ.

 

[Emmy]

Dear cavell. Loveliness of Life, a good way to have it is by following our Lord`s two Commandments:
" The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
The second is like it: love thy neighbour as thyself." ( Matthew 22: 35-40) in verse 40, we are told:
" On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." God is Love, and God wants loving sons and daughters. A Christian`s weapon is Love, with love we can overcome all adversity and bad behaviour.
In Matthew 7: 7:10, we are told: " ask and you shall receive," we ask for Love and Joy, then thank God and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour: all we know and all we meet, friends and not friends. We keep asking and thanking God, and sharing all Love and Joy with our neighbour. God will see our loving efforts, and God will approve and bless us. We might stumble and forget at times, but then we ask God to forgive us, and carry on loving and caring.
The Bible tells us: " Repent and be Born Again," give up all selfishness and unkindness, and start loving and caring.
The Holy Spirit will help and guide us, and Jesus our Saviour will lead us all the way: JESUS IS THE WAY.
We live in an imperfect world without much love and friendliness, let us try and become sign-posts to our Loving Heavenly Father. Love God and love each other, what loveliness. Love covers a multitude of sins, and Satan and his followers will flee from all Love and Compassion. I say this with love, cavell. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[cavell]

"Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All His wonderful passion and purity,
O Thou Spirit divine,
All my nature refine
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

As a boy I sang this verse with my family. My father was a Methodist minister, and he taught me well

Thank you for your thoughts Emmy.

 

[cavell]

I also recall a Minister of the Gospel, an American Pastor, well liked and with a large congregation, beginning his message quite often with the song, "To be like Jesus, To be like Jesus, All I ask to be like Him. All through life's journey from earth to glory, All I ask to be like Him.

I cannot recall the Brother's name, can anyone help?