“All joy comes through encountering beauty. The richest is found in Christ.” - Mike Reeves

Joy is more than happiness. Beauty is more than beholding. It is in the presence of God that we encounter beauty and experience joy. “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth… (Psalm 50:2)” as more beautiful, because, “splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary (Psalm 96:6).”

We can only encounter this beauty because Christ became as one who “…had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him… (Isaiah 53:3).” We can only experience this joy because Christ “…for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).” Now we can declare with the Psalmist “…in Your presence, there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).”

“One thing I have asked fo the LORD, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD al the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple (Psalm 27:4).” Amen.

Encountering,