God’s Beauty (Favor)
God’s favor is shown
in his unsurpassed beauty
a gift to us all
O Lord, our God, let your sweet beauty (favor) rest upon us. Psalm 90:17a
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Did you see the moon last night?
As I was closing our shades, I glanced up, and there she was, this time, quietly glowing behind a light, downy covering.
It was quietly stunning. I had to look again, lingering to take it in.
This beauty escorted me to thoughts about God. I had to, once again, wonder at a God so creative that He could and would offer us something to enjoy that is so magical and enchanting.
Quickly, I told Brian to “Look at the moon! I don’t want you to miss this!”
And I don’t want to forget that it is God who gives us gifts like the moon.
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This morning, I read Psalm 90, where I learned that the words “ favor” and “beauty” are interchangeable in verse 17.
O Lord, our God, let your sweet beauty rest upon us. TPT
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us. NIV
This, of course, made me stop and think about last night’s moon.
That beauty showed me God’s favor…His approval…of His magnificent creation, and of me as I opened my eyes and heart to it.
I also realized in that moment how much He loves all of mankind because He made that kind of beauty available for all humanity to enjoy.
Physical beauty in creation is one of the ways God shows himself.
I thought about the other ways I experienced God’s beauty (favor) this past week.
Worshipping with our church family on Sunday morning.
Reading, reflecting on, and praying through passages in the book of Acts each morning.
Watching our 5 grandchildren as they enjoyed the swimming pool, laughing and playing together.
Planning summer Grandma Camp with Oliver, while trying to learn to crochet.
Helping to serve our neighbors at church while pondering their precious worth.
Participating in our first Zoom Bible study with two of our neighbors who have moved to Ohio.
Serving delicious BBQ ribs to new friends while enjoying their delightful fellowship.
Spending two hours with a friend, reflecting on and praying over the long-ranging effects of church-hurt on a family.
Inviting our sweetest neighbor to help us finish up those delicious BBQ ribs and blueberry pie.
I mean, look at this list! And I could add many more. They are so ordinary, yet such grace-filled gifts.
I see that the Psalmist isn’t just asking that we see God’s beauty, but more deeply, he asks God to let this beauty rest upon us - like a covering, a blanket, of His presence.
The Psalmist doesn’t ask for any pouring or forcing. He asks God to let this beauty rest on us.
I look through my list of 65 people who shared their 2026 words with me.
Rachel: goodness
Annie: refuge
Sharla, Carolyn, and Susie: grace
Onalee and Sylvia: peace
Jean and Barb: presence
Kerstin: joy
Gwen & Diane: wisdom
Teresa and Lori Jean: rest
Libby: new/second wind
Dale: synchronicity
By choosing these words, I believe, these friends are asking God, “We want you. Remind us of your presence. Show us yourself. Cover us.”
There are no striving words here. They are receiving words.
In Mary Oliver’s popular poem, A Summer Day, she writes:
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass,
how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed,
how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
I’d say, Mary really does know what prayer is.
In this poem, she wrote of being attentive to the created world and resting in it as a gift.
I would add that when I pray, I want to rest, not in creation itself, but in the Creator who spoke this beauty into being and who came to us as Jesus. His life, death, and resurrected life made us truly able to receive all that our Creator has given.
I can then worship God and receive His undeserved gifts and truly enjoy them.
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I don’t know what we’ll see when we look for the moon tonight, but I encourage us to go outside to search for it. And if we find it, let’s stop for a minute, breathe deeply, and let God show himself.
I want His creation gifts to lead us to ponder His love and approval, so that out of them we can begin to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge…” Ephesians 3:18-19
God’s love is the gift by which He shows His favor(beauty) clearly and without a doubt.
O Lord, our God, let your sweet beauty (favor) rest upon us. Psalm 90:17a
Lord God, thank you for the grace, the undeserved favor, you bestow upon us.
Help us to envision it as a shield, wrapping itself around us,
keeping us safe from the evil one and keeping us close to your heart.
We bow to you and honor you for your Word, showing us clearly that you are the Creator of it all.
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Amen
Journaling ideas:
Close your eyes and picture Psalm 5:12. Your favor wraps around each one and covers them under your canopy of kindness and joy. What image came to mind? How did it feel to be wrapped in the beauty of his approval?
Recall a time when you were moved deeply by a breathtaking part of God’s creation.
When have you felt God’s favor through one of His gifts?
Does resting feel like work? Try sitting silently with God, enjoying His presence. Write about how you felt.