Psalm 27:4 | Stephen L Hufman

Gazing upon beauty depends on the condition of your mind

There are many things that interfere with my ability to appreciate beauty. Beauty is delicate and easily pushed aside. I can’t do it if my mind is beset by: anger, fear, lust, jealousy, greed, grief, or sadness. These thoughts are brash, consuming, and often out of control in my mind. I need the help of the Holy Spirit to tame them and send them away so I can see the beauty of the Lord. When the Spirit comes and transforms my mind (Romans 12:1-2) He replaces those harsh thoughts with: thanksgiving, gratitude, praise, joy, peace, hope and love. O how good it is to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord (Psalm 27:4).

Light In the Woods

Oh, how beautiful…
There is something about real beauty that touches our soul.
Beauty is far more than shape or form, it is the fragrance of heaven.
Beauty inspires us to reflect the loveliness we encounter.
Seeing a baby smile brings beauty to the beholder, and inspires a smile in return.
Beauty is a signpost pointing to how life should be.
Beauty is never conscious of self, instead it always desires to see beauty in others.
Beauty colors our past with innocence, our present with joy, and our future with hope.
Seeing what is beautiful stirs the desire to draw closer to the source of beauty,
And seeing the source changes you forever.

One thing I ask of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4

So this prayer is far more than asking for a room with a view, it is about asking to draw close to the source of beauty, and be transformed.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18