A Lovely Heart

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. – (Proverbs 31:30, NIV)

Grace and beauty can fool you, but a woman who respects the Lord should be praised. – (Proverbs 31:30, ERV)

Charm can be deceptive and physical beauty will not last, but a woman who reveres the Eternal should be praised above all others. – (Proverbs 31:30, VOICE)

When I think about the most beautiful women I know, it is not their physical appearance that makes them lovely, but rather it is their heart that seeks to love and care for those around them that make them beautiful to all who know them. My grandmother, who lived well into her nineties, was one of the most beautiful women I know. Her love and dedication to God and to people paved the path that has shown the generations that followed her, what beauty really is. My mom, her daughter, shares similar traits. She loves God and loves people with her whole heart. Her kindness and courage are genuine, and her love is evident in all that she does. As we think with gratitude about the mothers and mother figures in our lives, may we give God praise for those who love God and love people well.

Charm is deceptive,

A tiny snapshot of those who have been examples of honesty, goodness and peace in my life (there are more!). ❤

And beauty won’t last;

But a heart for God,

Is true and steadfast.

What amazes me,

Is beauty that’s true;

A heart that loves well,

As each day is new.

God’s love shows the way,

When we seek His face;

Good that’s unending,

Overwhelming grace.

Lord, we give You thanks,

For those in our lives;

Who love as You love,

Beauty realized.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You show us to fix our eyes on You and on what lasts forever. Thank You that as we do, Your love and light shine through. Thank You for the women and mothers that You have placed in our lives to show us what it is to be a woman after Your heart. Forgive us for the times that we have lacked love or grace or have focused too much on the external rather than the internal that lasts forever. Teach us to follow You with our whole heart so that we might love like You. Show us how to love those around us in practical and tangible ways. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we thank You for the inner beauty that You have shown us in those who love You and those around them as You intended. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. – Proverbs 31:25

True Beauty

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. – (Proverbs 31:30, NIV)

Charm can be misleading, and beauty is vain and so quickly fades, but this virtuous woman lives in the wonder, awe, and fear of the Lord. She will be praised throughout eternity. – (Proverbs 31:30, TPT)

Charm can be deceptive and physical beauty will not last, but a woman who reveres the Eternal should be praised above all others. – (Proverbs 31:30, VOICE)

God wants our hearts, not our appearance nor charisma. Incredibly, the most beautiful and charming people I know are those who have a heart after God’s own. Media tends to place the most value on beauty and charm, yet God looks at the heart. Our most important investments are the ones that last. Loving God and loving people well is what teaches us to live in wonder and awe of the Lord. It requires our dependence on Him to live as He calls us to live. Fear of the Lord is not a space of terror, but rather is a healthy respect that recognizes who God is and the capacity of His power. When we allow God to be God, we begin to live and move and interact the way that we were designed to do. In this context, being praised means being approved. The most critical message in this verse is that we are approved by God when we focus on relationships rather than appearances. May we ever seek the Lord in awe and wonder, depending on Him to grow us in how we live and love.

May we ever aim,

Typography poster lettering love and ethnic patterns. The feathers of birds form a heart. Vector illustration hand drawn.

To love like the Lord;

Beauty from within,

As grace is outpoured.

With respect and awe,

Let love for God lead;

In all that we do,

Each word and each deed.

The God of all grace,

In love, does approve;

When we seek to love,

In all that we do.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call us to focus on what lasts. Thank You that true beauty comes from within, not from the exterior. Thank You that we are approved by You as we earnestly seek to walk in Your ways and do Your will. Forgive us for allowing our hearts to be swayed by the world’s definition of beauty rather than Yours. Teach us to have beautiful hearts that love and respect You and all those around us. Show us how to love people best as we invest our heart into learning how to love as we were created to love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we thank You for the beauty all around us, but more importantly, for the beauty created within us all to honor You and love well. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love. – Psalm 33:18

Seek Love that Lasts

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. – (Proverbs 31:30, NIV)

Charm can be deceptive and physical beauty will not last, but a woman who reveres the Eternal should be praised above all others. – (Proverbs 31:30, VOICE)

Charm can be misleading, and beauty is vain and so quickly fades, but this virtuous woman lives in the wonder, awe, and fear of the Lord. She will be praised throughout eternity. – (Proverbs 31:30, TPT)

 

Fear of the Lord is a healthy reverence for who He is. It is not the sort of fear that causes us to cower in a corner because there is a lack of love, but rather it is a respect that is filled with awe for who God is and the incredible power He holds in His hands. When we operate our lives in wonder and awe, this healthy fear of the Lord, we begin to love God and love people in the ways that we are called to love. *Charm, or the power of pleasing or attracting through personality or beauty, is not love. (*dictionary.com) Love is a decision that chooses to speak truth, rather than seeks to please, and though love is attractive, it is not given selfishly with the hope of something in return, but rather, it is a pure intention to give of ourselves freely, as we are loved by God. Beauty is an interesting attribute as well, as what one eye perceives as beautiful, another finds ordinary. However, those with beautiful hearts are most often remembered as beautiful. So often, the more I know the heart of someone, the more beautiful they become in my eyes. Physical beauty fades, but beauty of the heart continues to grow as we walk more closely with the Lord. The to be praised portion of this verse reminds me that there are eternal benefits to loving God and loving people. Great is our reward when all is said and done. He blesses us here, but has prepared so much more for us when our time on earth is through. It all points back to loving God and loving people. May we be filled with awe and reverence for the Lord who loves us with an everlasting love, and go forth and love others with a love that is pure and selfless and otherly, exactly as love was designed.

 

Be not deceived,

By beauty or charm;

Seek love that lasts,

And does not do harm.

With reverence,

Stand in awe of God;

All love’s from Him,

For now and beyond.

Rise up and choose,

To love as we’re called;

God and people,

By grace, love for all.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are what lasts. Thank You that as we invest in relationship with You, we come to know and understand love as You intended it to be. Thank You that as we choose to walk forward in the love You call us to, You show us the goodness that is for now and all that is yet to come. Forgive us for the times that we have lacked reverence for You or love for others. Teach us to live out each day in love, according to Your perfect plan. Show us how to love others well, so that they may know the depth and breadth of love found in You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek to love You and love people well. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

But the eyes of the Lord are on all those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love. – Psalm 33:18