Lord, You’re Beautiful

From Gospel Translations

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness. (Psalm 17:15)

One day we will stand before Jesus.

If we could see through the clutter of our lives now — if we could envision the day when everything is said and done — it’s clear that the enduring mission in and under and beyond every detail of our lives is about pleasing him. What does he think?

What will he say?

We don’t know the exact words Jesus will speak to us on that Day, though the Bible gives us some ideas (Matthew 25:23). Whatever it is, though, we can be sure it will be glorious and full of grace. We will hear his voice. It will be amazing.

One More Question

But what if we turned the question around? Instead of just wondering what Jesus might say to us, what will we say to Jesus?

When, before his very presence, we look back over our lives, remembering our pains and pleasures, our losses and loves, our lows and our highs, what will we look to him and say?

When all the questions are answered . . . when the threads of our doubts and hardships are seen as the finished tapestry of his sustaining grace . . . when we look over all our decisions and moves and steps . . . when we see, for the first time, the ocean of his mercy with glorified eyes, what will we say about him? What else could we say but that he is beautiful?

Oh Lord, you’re beautiful.

Whether those are our exact words or not, they could be. Certainly, they are true. We will see his face. Which means, we will see his beauty — Beauty of all beauties. Beauty like we never imagined, like we could have never dreamed.

A Holy, Simple Ambition

And knowing that now, living in the imagination of that coming Day, the prayer of our hearts becomes simple. That is what this vision does, after all. It unclutters. It reminds us of what really matters. It makes us desire, with the intensity of heaven, for God’s word to go forth in all the world. We will see him one day. We will live forever in his love. And we want others to experience this same joy that he has welcomed us into.

Therefore, we pray, “I want to take your word and shine it all around. First help me just to live it, Lord. And when I’m doing well, help me to never seek a crown, for my reward is giving glory to you.”

That is our prayer now in light of that future day. Right now, while we’re here, we just want to live for him. We just want the good news of his love to be proclaimed. We want people to hear about his death and resurrection, how he came to save, how he does save. And we want to walk everyday in his Spirit, alive to this truth, in repentance and humility, always yielding to his lead, always giving him the glory.