Blessing And Beauty

The blessing of the LORD brings wealth,and he adds no trouble to it.

Proverbs 10:22 (NIV)

Ladies, this is a great and wonderful promise from God himself to us. The blessings of God are the only true commodity that can fill us so completely that we become full and rich, internally rich. But does “blessing” mean riches like money or health or beauty or popularity? No. These things can give us temporary happiness, but temporary is the key word. These things don’t last, and they can’t give us lasting satisfaction either. Through the years, Hollywood icons from Marilyn Monroe to Brittany Spears have been tragic illustrations. A picture is worth a thousand words. They had all the money, beauty, and popularity this world offers, but definitely those girls had troubles, lots of troubles.

So what is “blessing”? Literally it means God’s favor—his smile on your life, his pleasure. And most of all, the greatest blessing is his presence, his friendship. His presence brings peace and joy even when times are hard. He comforts us in times of pain and gives us strength when we are weak. These are things that the world isn’t selling and money just can’t buy.

Paul the apostle is such a perfect picture of this. When he was in a Roman prison, he said, “I have learned to be content” (Philippians 4:11, NIV). It’s been said that “contentment isn’t getting what you want but wanting what you have.”

“The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it” (Proverbs 10:22, NIV).

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

While we’re on the topic of definitions, let’s address the concept of beauty. There are many brokenhearted women because they look in the mirror and do not see the Hollywood version of beauty. We need a reality check. Those cover girls don’t look that good when they wake up either. And remember, true beauty is more than skin deep. Beauty sometimes comes in simple packages. God raises the bar on real beauty in 1 Peter 3:4: “Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” (NKJV).

One Year Bible Reading

Leviticus 25:47–27:13; Mark 10:32-52; Psalm 45:1-17; Proverbs 10:22