How Lovely You Are

How Lovely You are- Lyrics

Your Love goes beyond understanding
Your Love is all consuming
Reaching the deepest places in my heart
Reaching the deepest places in my heart
I'm in the place that I can't say much

Oh God I am at a loss for words
All I can say is how lovely you are
How lovely you are....
Your Love is neverending

Reaching the deepest places in my heart
Reaching the deepest places in my heart
I'm in the place where I can't say much
Oh God I'm lost for words

All I can say How Lovely You Are

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As I read the following post by Stasi Eldridge, God began showing me that this is happening to me. For years, I ran after beauty. If I could find the perfect hairstyle, make-up, outfit, or be a certain size......then I would be beautiful.

I was striving, running, after a beautiful illusion.

As Stasi Eldridge points out, the truth in God's Kingdom is a woman's beauty comes from the inside out.

A woman in her glory, a woman of beauty, is a woman who is not striving to become beautiful or worthy or enough. She knows in her quiet centre where God dwells that He finds her beautiful, has deemed her worthy and in Him, she is enough. In fact, the only thing getting in the way of our being fully captivating and enjoyed is our hiding and striving.

I love this part....A woman of beauty knows in her quiet centre, where God dwells, that He finds her beautiful, has deemed her worthy, and in Him, she is enough.

Wow! That is a powerful, life changing, statement. In Him is she is enough. Oh, God, I pray that you would bring this forth in me in the fullest sense.... deep, deep in my Spirit.

God has a funny sense of humor. When I go to church on Sunday morning, I fix myself all up, and by the time I am finished praying and worshipping in the rehearsal, I don't have a stitch of make-up on. My hair which started straight is now curly. He keeps speaking that He sees me beautiful both ways. Then His Spirit leads me to go and greet and welcome people to my church.

I think He is up to something......

What I find amazing is how deep the lies of the enemy go in my soul. That this world has lied to me and us women. He has contaminated the beauty God has given us. We believe the lies that our beauty is only composed of our appearance and sex appeal. It is reinforced by media and on T.V. I see so many women who have bought into this lie....myself included. I pray that God could use me in this generation to help us women get free from the bondage we have to perfectionism about our appearance.

Stasi Eldridge says it so well..

So Jesus says, "I will quiet you with My love" (Zephaniah 3:17). A woman of true beauty is a woman who in the depths of her soul is at rest; trusting God because she has come to know Him to be worthy of her trust. She exudes a sense of calm; a sense of rest; and invites those around her to rest as well. She speaks comfort; that all is well; that all will be well. A woman of true beauty offers others the grace to be and the room to become.

In her presence, one can release the tight sigh that so often grips our hearts, and breathe in the truth that God loves us and he is good.

I pray that God would help me to become this woman....

Blessings,
Tammy



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The Essence of a Woman By Stasi Eldridge

When we speak about the essence of a woman - her beauty - we don't mean "the perfect figure." The beauty of a woman is first a soulish beauty. We know - it's a harder jump to make. We've lived so long under the pressure to be beautiful. But stay with the thought for a moment, because it will really help. The beauty of a woman is first a soulful beauty. And yes, as we live it out, own it, inhabit our beauty, we do become more lovely. More alluring. As the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote, "Self flashes off frame and face."

Our true self becomes reflected in our appearance. But it flows from the inside out.

The essence of a woman is Beauty. She is meant to be the incarnation - our experience in human form - of a Captivating God. A God who invites us.

"You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;
you have stolen my heart
with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
You are a garden fountain,
a well of flowing water
streaming down from Lebanon." (Songs 4:9, 15)

Beauty is what the world longs to experience from a woman. We know that - somewhere down deep, we know it to be true. Most of our shame comes from this knowing and feeling that we have failed here. So hear this: Beauty is an essence that dwells in every woman. It was given to her by God. It was given to you.

Surely you would agree that God is nothing if not beautiful.

All around us God's creation shouts of his beauty and his goodness. The way snow creates a silhouette of lace on a barren tree, the rays of sun streaming forth from a billowing cloud, the sound of a brook trickling over smooth stones, the form of a woman's body and the face of a child anticipating the arrival of the ice cream truck all speak of God's good heart if we will have but the eyes to see. The coming of spring after a hard winter is almost too glorious for a soul to bear.

God's beauty is lavished on the world.

Beauty may be the most powerful thing on earth. Beauty speaks. Beauty invites. Beauty nourishes. Beauty comforts. Beauty inspires. Beauty is transcendent. Beauty draws us to God.

A woman in her glory, a woman of beauty, is a woman who is not striving to become beautiful or worthy or enough. She knows in her quiet centre where God dwells that He finds her beautiful, has deemed her worthy and in him, she is enough. In fact, the only thing getting in the way of our being fully captivating and enjoyed is our hiding and striving.

So Jesus says, "I will quiet you with My love" (Zephaniah 3:17). A woman of true beauty is a woman who in the depths of her soul is at rest; trusting God because she has come to know Him to be worthy of her trust. She exudes a sense of calm; a sense of rest; and invites those around her to rest as well. She speaks comfort; that all is well; that all will be well. A woman of true beauty offers others the grace to be and the room to become. In her presence, one can release the tight sigh that so often grips our hearts, and breathe in the truth that God loves us and He is good.

This is why we must keep asking. Ask Jesus to show you your beauty. Ask him what he thinks of you as a woman. His words to us let us rest. And unveil our beauty.


(Captivating , 130-132)