Edgar Allan Poe once wrote: “The pleasure which is at once the most pure, the most elevating, and the most intense, is derived, I maintain, from contemplation of the beautiful.” The purest and ultimate pleasure, then, according to the psalmist, is our contemplation of God.
David’s chief desire and longing in life was to live in the presence of Yahweh (represented by the tabernacle) and to experience His beauty (Psalm 27:4). What exactly did David mean by wanting to gaze upon the Lord’s perfections? This was David’s way of expressing the inexpressible and of describing the immortal, invisible, only true God (1 Timothy 1:17). It meant, on the one hand, that he wanted to see His literal beauty. Yet, at the same time, he wanted to experience those invisible qualities that make God the definition of beauty. David wanted to enjoy the sweetness of the Lord, rejoice in His gracious friendship, find pleasure in the perfection of His character, and meet with Him face to face. He didn’t simply want an image of beauty—David longed for God Himself. For him, the pleasure that was at once the most pure, the most elevating, and the most intense, was delighting in and contemplating God.
God’s desire is that His people experience the pleasure that is the most pure—delighting in and contemplating Him. We can do this by seeking God with our whole heart, thirsting after Him, worshiping him in the beauty of His holiness, and singing for joy to Him. Our chief longing in life should be to make God our everlasting priority. Preoccupation with the beauty of God leads to life (Amos 5:4-6), joy (Psalm 119:2), renewed strength (Isaiah 40:30-31), and rejoicing (1 Chronicles 16:10; Psalm 105:3).
May we find ourselves contemplating the Beautiful One—being transformed by His perfect holiness, love, wisdom, and care!
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: John 21:15-25
More:
Read 1 Kings 11:4 and see what happens when we fail to contemplate and be preoccupied with the Beautiful One.
Next:
What are some things you can do or to make God your everlasting preoccupation? What pleasure have you found in focusing your attention on God and His beauty?
tom felten on October 2, 2012 at 10:18 am
Fascinating quote from Poe. Though his writing was often macabe and gothic, it’s obvious he could appreciate beauty. A verse in Ecclesiastes comes to mind: “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Being made in God’s image, each person has “planted” within them a reflection of God and His beauty. May we pursue the truly Beautiful One today and acknowledge His light and beauty in our lives!
davidbeloved on October 2, 2012 at 12:33 pm
How beautiful is OUR Lord!
songoftriumph on October 2, 2012 at 2:15 pm
Recently I’ve become disillusioned with the use of social media sites. There is so much out there to clutter our thinking and some of it is not good for our spirits! Then I thought… why not use the internet for seeking out the beautiful, the lovely, and godly writing? And that has brought me to this site! I plan to make it a daily stop. This post has reaffirmed in my mind that God wants us to contemplate on Him and his Word and think on these things. Happy to find you!
lukehferris on October 2, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Good point songoftriumph. There is so much perceived “beauty” that the world tempts us with that sometimes I forget that “delighting in the Lord’s perfections” is what really gives me “pleasure which is at once the most pure”. Seeking out moments throughout the day to embrace God’s beauty is so important in my daily walk.
belleu on November 2, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Beautiful!