What Makes You Beautiful: A 7 Day DevotionalНамуна

God’s Forever Smile

Have you ever been to a wedding? Maybe you’ve been a bridesmaid or flower girl or have spent time with the bride as she got herself ready for her big day. A bride usually wears a beautiful white dress and decorates herself with jewels. This is a special celebration, and she wants to make herself lovely for her groom.

My favorite moment is when the groom finally sees his bride. Sometimes he cries tears of joy! He smiles and rejoices in her beauty, amazed that he gets to marry her.

Do you know that God is like that groom? Our verse today says that “as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” All those who love Jesus will one day see him, and Jesus will be happier than the happiest groom on his wedding day!

Now, being loved by other people is a beautiful thing. There is a good and right way to receive their admiration. But at the end of the day, peoples’ love and peoples’ praise will not compare to God’s praise over you. All earthly beauty will someday fade, and this includes the praises of your family, teachers, coaches, and friends.

But do you know what will last forever? God’s rejoicing over your beautiful heart.

The Bible says that one day Jesus will return. He will bring all his people (his church) to live with him forever, just like a groom marries his bride. Guess what will happen? All the transforming work he has been doing in your heart (and in the hearts of all his people) will be finally finished! “You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord” (Isa. 62:3). His church will finally be a perfect reflection of his beauty—truly beautiful in every way.

Jesus will be so thrilled with his bride—with how he has restored our beauty and our relationship to the Father—that he will rejoice! “As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” (Isa. 62:5). For endless days we will enjoy him smiling over us.

Can any person’s praise compare to that?

Let’s pray. Glorious God, thank you for sending your Son Jesus to rescue my heart, and thank you that he will return to finish this work. When I am worried about what people think, help me remember that you will rejoice over my perfect beauty forever! In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.