A Crown of Beauty

December 27, 2021

We are his beloved.

A Crown of Beauty

by Ellen Ceely

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations. For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” - Isaiah 61:10-62:3

When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

I’m probably not the first person to ask you that question. Honestly, at one point in my life I used to roll my eyes when someone would ask me. But one day I looked in the mirror and I realized I didn’t know who I was anymore. I’d become so busy with doing that I’d forgotten what it meant to just exist. I’d forgotten to check in with my soul, to take time to ask God if what I was working toward was what he wanted for my life. Most of all, I’d forgotten what it meant to belong to him and what he thought of me.

Isaiah paints an incredible picture of what it means to belong to God. We are to rejoice in the Lord! Why? Because he has transformed our lives. Today’s verses emphasize how God sees his people, what he thinks of us, and how he loves us.

How are we clothed? With garments of salvation and righteousness. We are the bride of Christ, adorned with jewels. How does God speak of us? Glowingly. He shows us off to the rest of the world because we reflect his glory and power. Who we are is a reflection of who God is. Our existence is meant to bring him praise and worship, pointing people toward the Creator of the universe.

Finally, Isaiah says that we will be called by a new name that the Lord will give. We are his beloved. We will be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, a royal diadem. Whenever we look in the mirror or lose sight of who we are, this is who God says we are. Whatever lies the world may feed us, however many ugly things we might say about ourselves, the truth is that God loves us and sees us as priceless, beloved beings he’s proud of.

Reflection:
How do these verses challenge or comfort you? When you think about who you are, how you feel about yourself, and what others say about you, how do those things compare with what God thinks about you? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Related Resource:

Jesus calls the Holy Spirit a "gift" who will guide us, lead us, and empower us. Yet many believers don't experience the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. This unique Christian small group Bible study provides a space in which we can explore what it truly means to "walk in the Spirit" on a daily basis. The Spirit-Filled Life small group curriculum centers on a 6-part video teaching series examining the life-giving and creative work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Begin to experience the gift today!