Keith Green wrote the lyrics to ‘O Lord, You’re Beautiful’, sung by J. Michael Finley in the movie I Can Only Imagine. The pure love and desire in these lyrics should touch the deepest recesses of the believer’s heart.
Keith describes the Lord, and asks Him to keep His eyes on His child, because when He does, grace abounds as the Lord’s free and unmerited favor shines on His beloved in blessing after blessing.
Who doesn’t want that? To receive, all the believer must do is seek God’s face.
Well, how often should we do that?
The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing—continuously. Not to pray for blessings, but to seek the Lord Most High in devout and pure earnestness and commitment. When we do this unceasingly, His grace abounds unceasingly.
To live in this state of mind reinstates the original fire believers felt when they first accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. That first bright and shining realization that God is Who He claims to be, and there is nothing that will separate us from His love once that choice is made.
But more mature believers realize how the things of this world can extinguish that first light, and it must be replaced with a lamp that burns forever in Holy fear.
What is Holy fear? It is not the fear of danger, or of something that will cause harm, or pain, as so many people believe. Holy fear is true, honest, and reverent respect to God the Father, His Son, and our everlasting helper, Holy Spirit.
True Holy fear burns deep inside the believers heart with commitment and obedience, and stops the worldly attitude that quenches our helper—when we refuse to listen to Him, refuse to obey Him—thinking we can get on in life without His assistance.
We can’t…
Holy fear returns us to God’s full and abundant agape love, His protection, and His will for our lives. When we SEEK His face, His great grace and abundance cover us with all that is good, lovely, kind, gentle, knowledgeable, discerning, and wise.
O Lord, You’re beautiful
Your face is all I seek
For when Your eyes are on this child
Your grace abounds to me
O Lord, You’re beautiful
Your face is all I seek
For when Your eyes are on this child
Your grace abounds to me
O Lord, please light the fire
That once burned bright and clear
Replace the lamp of my first love
That burns with Holy fear
Amen.