One Beauty

*Thanks to Beauty for Ashes for the link to the insect picture. Doesn't it look just like someone praising God, or leading a choir to praise God?

Psalm 27:4 (English Standard Version)

One Thing I have asked of the Lord ......

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord.......

To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.

One thing,

One thing,

One thing!

It's hard to imagine

One thing

When I seem to be attracted

to so many things,

It is a continuing

struggle.

It is a daily

battle,

It is my constant

war.

The world of the physical

attracts me

excites me

magnetized me

addicts me.

I confuse consumption with satisfaction.

I confuse satisfied senses

with true joy.

I confuse a stomach that is full

with a heart at rest.

Sometimes I would rather have

my appetites satisfied

than a grace-filled heart.

Sometimes I would rather hold

the physical

than have the eyes of my heart

be filled

with the beauty of the spiritual.

I am tired of seeing

only what my physical eyes can see.

I want eyes

t see

wheat cannot be seen.

I am tired of craving

people

possessions

experiences

appearances..........

Somewhere in my heart

I know that only You

satisfy.

Deep in my heart

I want You to be

enough.

I must quit

moving

running

driving

pursuing

consuming.

I need to stop.

I need to be quiet.

I need to sit

in the seat of grace

and wait

and wait

until these blind eyes see

until this cold heart

craves

the one beauty that satisfies

the one beauty that

is You.

Paul David Tripp

From the book

A Shelter in the Time of Storm