"The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold." (Psalm 45:13)
This is our hour and season to be that radiant Bride, to shine forth the goodness of God. He delights in drawing close to His Bride. His eyes are always on us, and we, His beloved, shall flourish once more—brighter, sweeter, lovelier, more beautiful, more glorious, purer, increasingly radiant, and fairer than any other! We shall carry the glorious presence of our Lord and shall flourish forever in the courts of our God!
You can hear our cries from the secret place, singing as one: "Yea, He is altogether lovely!" (See Song of Solomon 5:16.)
Hidden deep beneath man's outer appearance is his heart. A person's heart is not always discerned because people only see what's visible to the naked eye.
We often place greater value on someone who is flashy, bold, and performs well. But, dear friend, do you not know that inner wealth and inner beauty are far more valuable and precious to God than what we see with our eyes? From God's viewpoint, these qualities are worth far more: maturity, wisdom, character, divine revelation, and the willingness to carry the heart of God.
The wealthiest people aren't those with the most money; rather, they are the ones who have the 'inner wealth of the Spirit of God' dwelling inside them, knowing Him as a close friend and forever leaning upon His breast.
Inner wealth and true beauty do not come through a prayer line; they only come when our stubborn nature is buried in His abounding love, where we are content to behold His loving face; where we have a yielded life and a humble heart, submitting to the Master's will, and where all that remains is the brilliance of His divine nature that can now freely flow and reflect through us. Those are the qualities that make us truly wealthy.
Glorious Within
"There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all! Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised." (Proverbs 31:29-30)
According to Scripture, it's clear that outward beauty does not last. It is fleeting and quickly passes, but character endures and is a real and lasting treasure. The virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 was very beautiful. Her inner beauty was so rare that she was remembered throughout all time in Scripture. Proverbs 31 is also a prophetic view of the Bride of Christ, one that exudes an inner beauty and not just a deceptive surface charisma.
"Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy lord; and worship thou him... The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold." (Psalm 45:10-11, 13)
His Bride has learned to listen and obey the Lord in all things, giving Him first place. He is her first priority and her only focus. She loves Him more than life itself, and radiates an inner beauty that captures the heart of her Bridegroom. The King is drawn to the true beauty of her pure heart. This golden queen is glorious; her clothing is wrought in gold. Gold speaks of His divine nature. She is beautiful in every way. She is wrapped in His presence. (Photo via Pixabay)
The Bridegroom is so moved by her inner beauty, He then cries out:
"Thou art all fair, My love; there is no spot in thee." (Song of Solomon 4:7)
He recognizes the deep work He has done inside her. The spots have been covered by His Blood and she is pure and righteous in His sight. Her character reflects the heart of God; she is beautiful in spirit.
Beautiful in Spirit
Have you ever met someone who was exquisitely beautiful in the spirit? Sometimes you come across someone so special and unique that they simply stand out. Even spending just a few minutes with them brings about a great life change. They carry a rare beauty seldom seen anywhere else. They shine forth the beauty of the Lord.
"And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us..." (Psalm 90:17)
There's something special about carrying a beautiful spirit. In Psalm 90, we read that we are to let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. We are to be representatives of Jesus—those who allow the beauty of the Holy Spirit to shine through us to change the world.
Some people carry something very special; I've asked myself a million times how they received it and how it came about. We know that we are to be a manifest representation of the Lord on earth, an expression of our Father's heart, so that others may be transformed when touched by the presence of the Lord within us. Don't you want others to leave a conversation with you knowing they've been changed?
I readily admit that, occasionally, I've sat with such great men and women of God, and my life was altered in an instant! Their examples also created a divine hunger in me to run hard after God. The humility and beauty they carried are scarcely seen—rare and precious. They had a depth that went far deeper than what I see in most Believers. But that's the thing...you and I are not called to be normal, average, or status quo Christians, but to be carriers of the beauty of the Lord, to be His radiant Bride.
What does it mean to let the beauty of the Lord be upon us? What kind of qualities do people see when they see Jesus in us? I know it when I see it; I know it when I hear it...but I had to ask the Lord about it because I'd heard no one talk about it. What is the beauty of the Lord?
The Lord is looking for a remnant Bride who not only functions in the gifts of the Spirit, but appreciates the stunning attributes of God, and lives to reflect His beautiful character in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
One person, in particular, fit that description for me—even though she's now with the Lord. Her name was Hattie Hammond, and she was an evangelist far ahead of her time. At the time, I hadn't even listened to her sermons yet; I had only read her 50 sermon titles, but that was enough to quicken my spirit, sensing the beauty and presence of the Lord she carried so well. When I finally listened to her messages, she called out to the lover of her soul, and such beauty came forth. When she spoke, it came from the depths of her heart. The beauty of the Lord truly rested upon her, so I asked the Lord, "What caused the beauty of the Lord to rest upon her life?"
The late Wade Taylor was another one of these remarkable people who radiated a quiet kindness and beauty. I loved to phone him because he was always happy to hear from me. It meant a great deal just to hear the tender compassion in his voice. When he ministered, you could feel the Spirit and the life emanating from his messages. (Photo of Wade Taylor)
Spiritual fathers to Wade Taylor were Walter Beuttler and John Wright Follette—also in whom a humble, holy beauty and anointing resided.
These great mothers and fathers of the faith have inspired my walk with God so much that they propelled me forward to seek the Lord and His beauty. Through my pursuit, I now know that the Father desires to raise up a Bride who carries the exquisite beauty of the Lord, so that others will see it and become eager to receive that same special touch of the Lord.
The Lord is raising up a mature Bride of Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:7-9). She is prepared and ready to assume her position in the Kingdom. She is enveloped by the atmosphere of Heaven and the beauty of the Lord rests upon her. When others see her, they see Jesus. She's been so long with the Master that she begins to radiate the very glory of His presence. Yes, it's getting darker today. Yes, there still seem to be places that are not open to the move of the Spirit, but He is raising up a remnant Bride who carries the beauty of the Lord, changing the atmosphere as she walks into a room, no matter where she goes. This is our hour and season to be that radiant Bride, to shine forth the goodness of God.
Many Believers are chasing after ministry opportunities. You see, they're waiting for the next big chance to grace the cover of a well-known Christian publication. It's all about self-promotion and becoming popular. Let me declare boldly that it's far more essential to know Jesus and carry His beauty than to become the next big thing in our Christian circles.
Let me ask: How do we reflect the beauty of the Lord? This subject could be a whole book but I will give you the short version, and I want the Lord to continue to give you revelation about this even after you finish reading this article.
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into that same images from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Another translation (NLT) says, "So all of us who have had [their] veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image" [emphasis added].
Do you want the beauty of the Lord to rest upon you? Be with Jesus! Spend so much time with your friend Jesus that His image is burned upon your soul. Then, spend more time basking in His presence and resting in His glory the way Samuel did in the tabernacle. Spend time waiting on the Lord, and He will renew you so that you will look just like Him, and His fragrance and beauty will be all over you!
Spend time beholding Him. I love that phrase...beholding the Lord. To behold Him is to soak, rest, and dwell in His manifest presence. To behold Him is to steadily gaze into His eyes of fervent love that blaze like fire, transforming you. Behold the Lord, and as you do, He will capture your heart. You will be changed, reflecting His image from glory to glory. (Photo via Piqsels)
But wait...just when you think you've arrived, you'll find that there's a whole other realm to enter. During this time, He'll allow difficult people to refine you, and help you to know you still need Him now more than ever. His Bride will walk through many desert places, but this will lead her to a spiritually wealthy place where she will flourish.
Don't let yourself be discouraged—just spend time in His presence. I love taking walks with my sweet wife Diane; we enjoy being together. Do we share those sacred moments with the Lord too? Do you love being with Him? Some of the most precious moments can happen when you sit on a bench and do nothing except enjoy each other's company. You don't even have to say, "I love you." Just keep silent and love on Him, realizing that your love for the Lord is real and genuine, and, unbelievably, that He loves you even more.
Beautiful in Heart
The most beautiful people in the world may never make the 'who's who' list or be counted among the popular crowd. However, that inner glow of gentle beauty shines brightly for all to see, if people care enough to search deeper.
A truly beautiful soul has fought the good fight and does not give up. These people know the bitter taste of defeat but persevered anyway. They lost their fair share of battles but kept on going. They faced the fierce winds of pain and agony, the dark nights of the soul, and the wilderness of loneliness and rejection; but out of the pit they emerged with deep compassion and a fresh appreciation for the Lord. Their hearts are filled with compassion and empathy for others who suffer, as the fight has produced an inner beauty that captures the attention of Heaven.
A beautiful heart is precious in God's Kingdom; in fact, it is a truly rare and valuable treasure that will be evident to all those who have eyes to see.
His Bride knows how to behold the Lord and sit before Him; they lie at His feet and stay there until they are transformed into His likeness. The people who once knew them would no longer recognize them. Their personality is radically altered; they talk less and love God more. He gives them His gifts and power because they prove themselves to be trustworthy with the deep heart of God.
Beautiful people don't just happen. They are molded in the presence of the King. This is our hour and season to be that radiant, beautiful Bride—to shine forth the goodness of God. His Bride is beautiful inside and out; she has obtained favor in Heaven. Her display of inner wealth is worth far more than any jewel. She has obtained the boundless treasure of a beautiful heart. What more could we ask for?
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Steve Porter
Refuge Ministries
Email:Â G524walk@yahoo.com
Website:Â www.findrefuge.tv
Steve and his wife Diane founded Refuge Ministries and a presence-driven publishing company, Deeper Life Press. Steve is a regular contributor to many prophetic publications, including the Elijah List, Spirit Fuel, and the Identity Network. His writings have been read worldwide by hundreds of thousands of people. Steve's books, maturity tracts, articles, and videos have touched countless lives around the world. The Porters reside near Rochester, NY.
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