What makes someone beautiful? I went to my trusty computer to search out some quotes pertaining to my question; here are just two of them:
“There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.” (Author Mandy Hale). Here’s another: “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” (Elisabeth Kübler-Ross)
There are numbers of other great and thought-provoking quotes out there but what got me thinking about the topic was the tedium I was feeling as I read some chapters out of the Old Testament portion of the Bible (did I really say tedium!). Since I figure that one is not supposed to be experiencing that kind of emotion when poring over what the prophets have written, I deliberately went back to the passage. There I read again the blow-by-blow description of the building specs for the temple King Solomon was having constructed in Jerusalem. A light went on: there was a genuine message in there for me!
The king had costly wood harvested and shipped to Jerusalem courtesy of his friend, King Hiram. Solomon assured Hiram that he would spare no expense in fairly compensating him and his workers for their part in providing cedar, as well as hewn and quarried stones for the foundation and walls. What really got my attention, though, was the amount of gold that was set aside to cover the building’s surfaces. Talk about expensive! That was nothing, however, compared to the price Jesus paid for us. Could we doubt our value to Him?
“So, the King will greatly desire your beauty…The royal daughter (i.e. child of God) is all glorious within….” Psalm 45:11, 14.
