«But we . . . are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord» (2 Corinthians 3:18).
PSYCHOLOGIST OLGA CHELNOKOVA states that we «are very curious about others’ faces, we read stories in them and evaluate their aesthetic value.» According to her doctoral research, the human visual system is able to direct all its attention to the most salient aspects of a face (eyes, nose, cheeks. . .). «The importance of the eyes in our evaluation of others has been well documented. For instance, it is hard to recognize someone if their eyes are hidden, while if someone is lying to us, we can often see it in their eyes.» The study also revealed that looking at a pretty face produces changes in us and gives us a gratifying sensation of pleasure.
The psalmist once said, «One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple» (Psalm 27:4, NIV). David was aware that gazing at a beautiful face exerts power on us; therefore, his greatest desire was to behold the most beautiful face in the universe: God’s face.
You might be wondering, «How can I behold the beauty of the Lord?» It is worth noting that the Hebrew word noam, translated as «beauty» in Psalm 27:4, also means «light» (Psalm 90:17), «favor» (Zechariah 11:7), «pure» (Proverbs 15:26), and «sweet» (Proverbs 16:24). In all those verses, noam refers to qualities pertaining to the Lord and His followers. In other words, the beauty of the Lord lies in His character traits. His beauty makes Him «chief among ten thousand» (Song of Solomon 5:10). Like the psalmist, we can behold Christ and tell Him, «You are the most handsome of all» (Psalm 45:2, NLT).
Beholding God’s beauty that way will have a transformative effect on us: «But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord» (2 Corinthians 3:18).
May «gazing on the beauty of the Lord» be our greatest delight, so that He may transform us in His very image. Wouldn’t it be glorious to have character traits like His?
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Angelica Cuate
