We Are Beautiful | Qualities of Women Who Trust Jesus
“You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” —Isaiah 62:3
Being called a crown of beauty might not mean much to you. It didn’t have much of an impact on me at first either. Royal crowns hold little significance in our 21st-century, democratic culture (unless you obsessed over the Netflix series recently).
If you’ve ever struggled with insecurities, a fragile self-esteem or body image issues, this is for you. Let’s settle it right here, right now.
You
are
beautiful.
Experiencing beauty is an automatic perk of being human. We breathe in the beauty of a sunset, a gentle breeze or a freshly bathed baby, and we’re warmed to the core.
What do we mean when we call something, or someone, beautiful? The dictionary defines the adjective like this:
possessing qualities that give great pleasure to see, hear, think about
delighting the senses or mind; satisfying
When God created humankind, He gave us the ability to both experience and reflect beauty, to delight and to be delighted. After forming our ancestors out of dust and breathing life into their lungs, He saw that what He had made was “very good” (Genesis 1:26-31).
As we know, Adam and Eve were made in the image of God, a great honor bestowed on no other part of His creation. They alone possessed an ability to reflect the beauty of God in a way that nothing else could, because nothing else was made in His image.
Remember what happened next? The temptation and fall of Adam and Eve destroyed the sweet union they enjoyed with God and forever tarnished the life-experience of every human to follow. Beauty itself was marred that day. It became something difficult to find and difficult to reflect. We lose sight of beauty under the chaos of everyday pressures, and we lose sight of our own true worth under the chaos of our insecurities.
We see ourselves at our best, and we see ourselves at our worst. If we’re not careful, at the end of the day, we see ourselves as less than desirable. But look. If it was God who designed the details of our anatomy, our emotional and spiritual inner-workings, and our mental capabilities, then the framework of who we are as a person is good and beautiful— we need to own that.
We’re crowns, Sisters! Think of the profound significance crowns have held within civilizations throughout history. Headdresses of all kinds have identified, dignified and confirmed the authority, power and wealth of leaders on every continent.
You, my friend, are a crown of beauty in the hands of the Lord. Your life and your dependency on Him are a display of his splendor and beauty.
You and I belong to a tribe of women who worship the highest and most beautiful God above all gods, the King of kings. Together as His daughters, we bring him great delight (Zephaniah 3:17). In Him, we are beautiful.
For Your Journal
Find It:
In this portion of your journal, write out a Bible verse. You can find a verse that fits a current life situation or use the one we used in today’s devotion.
“You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” —Isaiah 62:3
Fix It:
In this portion of your journal, pull out a few key words from the verse you chose above, or summarize the verse in your own words. Write it in pretty lettering or sketch something that will help you visualize the meaning of the verse and fix it in your mind. Repeat these words to yourself throughout the week to remind you of the truth contained in the scripture. Here are some options:
CROWN
I am beautiful
Feel It:
In this portion of your journal, write out a prayer. The goal is to absorb the meaning of the Bible passage and let it take root in your heart. Ask the Lord to let his word change you by the power of his Spirit. Surrender any areas of your life that you are trying to control.
God, you’re amazing for creating beauty. Thank you for giving us the capacity to take delight in what we absorb with our senses, and thank you for not stopping there! You also gave us the ability to be a delight to You and others. What an honor. Help me to see myself and other women in my life the way you see us— as crowns of beauty in your hand. You, Lord, are beautiful, and the closer you draw me to you, the more I’ll reflect your beauty. Help me to feel this truth deep in my heart. Amen.