I am a beta tester for a friend of mine who is developing a new program for her ministry. It is an interactive online experience, learning how to engage the Lord in a more personal way than most of us do on a regular basis. Using teaching established in the scriptures and an opportunity to interact using our sanctified imagination (our spirit) I have found the experience very helpful.

Before this opportunity began about six weeks ago, I had been asking the Lord to show me more of His beauty. I understand that we see at least a portion of God expressed in nature. So much beauty — I have written about this aspect of Him many times over the years. I walk most every day, no matter whether I am home or traveling. I love to see new parts of His creation because there is so much variety, depending on where you are in the world! I could write several articles (again) just on this aspect of His beauty.

However, this past week my friend (actually her partner who has been doing some of the sessions) had one of these online experiences sharing about the beauty of God, which expanded my understanding on how to see the beauty of the Lord in other ways. She used the scripture from Colossians 1:16-17. (TPT) “For through the Son everything was created, both in the heavenly realm and on the earth, all that is seen and all that is unseen. Every seat of power, realm of government, principality, and authority – it was all created through Him and for His purpose. He existed before anything was made, and now everything finds completion in Him.”

She reminded us that God is like a many faceted diamond – that there are endless things to learn about Him. She proposed to us that His beauty will expand for all of eternity and we will be in continuous awe of Him as we behold new, fresh revelations of His beauty. Isaiah 40:9 states “behold your God …” When we behold Him with eyes of faith and love, we see more clearly just how beautiful He is.

Several other ways to behold His beauty include the simple reading of the scriptures and allowing them to speak to us in new and fresh ways. I have been reading and studying the Bible for almost sixty years and some familiar passages become fresh with insight as I read them again looking to see another aspect of His nature and character – which is His beauty unfolded to us as we behold Him.

Another way to behold Him is in our worship – singing, listening to music, making up songs to sing to Him and any other way you can express your love and adoration to our beautiful God. Some songs take me to a fresh place with Him every time I hear or sing them! I also use my sanctified imagination to “see” myself standing before His throne with the great cloud of witnesses and all of the angels and other creatures, joining with them to worship God. I love to do this at church on Sunday morning with the rest of my friends as we worship Him together.

One of the ways that may be less familiar with many of us is setting aside a time of meditation – a time to focus on Him, perhaps a particular aspect of His nature or character – with no other agenda than just to behold Him from that facet (of the many faceted diamond). This can be done in solitude and silence in a place that you have set aside just to meet with Him or perhaps one of the places in your sanctified imagination (mine is a garden where there is a small lattice area upon entering – a small bench invites me to sit with Him. The lattice is covered with the most amazing roses with so many lovely scents). Do you have a place like that where you and the Lord meet together?

2 Corinthians 3:18 is one of my favorite scriptures. “We can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. and with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus.

We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. and this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Most of us have settled for far less than we have available to us spiritually! Most of us who are serious seekers and desire to please the Lord and be conformed to His image and likeness, are doing at least some of the above activities but I doubt if any of us realize the “height and depth and breadth and width of God’s love” for us and that He wants to express through us – uniquely, according to the purpose and destiny that He designed for each one of us before we were even born into this earth. We may be very busy and very engaged with our families, churches, ministries, and communities but are we taking the time to “behold Him”?

One of the things I said to the Lord when I began to seek Him concerning revelation of more of His beauty was that I wanted to encounter Him – not just His creation, not just an intellectual understanding of His magnificent Word but Him – His nature and character as it relates to His beauty. If “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” then we must take the time to “behold Him.” I personally think that just means we are going to have to spend more time with Him with no agenda other than to get to know Him better. It will probably look different for each one of us. I have spent many years reading those Christian authors who write on their personal journeys of seeking Him and getting to know Him intimately. Though many of them have similarities, no two people experience the Lord in exactly the same way. What I do know is that His Word promises us as believers – “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)