Gazing Upon Beauty

Adversity, though a fact of life, is never a welcome visitor. I get that. And yet, when it does strike, painful though it may be, it likely represents one of the greatest opportunities that God will ever hand you. Esther Ahn Kim was a Korean Christian imprisoned by the Japanese in the 1930s for refusing to bow down to a Shinto shrine. Realising what was coming, she spent months fasting, praying and memorising Scripture. In prison, she endured beatings, hunger and disease—yet described God's presence as her daily strength. She later wrote, "My suffering became the gateway to knowing Him more deeply." Isolated and mistreated, she met God in intimate, glorious ways that changed her forever. King David of Israel was another who three thousand years earlier discovered the same thing through his terrible trials, writing this reflection: Psalm 27:4-5 One thing I ask 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. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. (NIV) Why is it then, that in their darkest hour, many seem not to be able to find time to spend with God? Canadian author Richard Blackaby said this: "If you think you're too busy to spend time with God, your view of God is much too low and your view of yourself is much too high." Spend time in God's presence. Gaze upon His beauty. And in your darkest moments, remember … this is likely the greatest opportunity He'll ever hand you. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.