Beauty Comes From Within

Have you ever met someone who was beautiful on the outside, but once you got to know them, they were so ugly on the inside that their outside beauty faded?  Or maybe you know someone whose inward beauty makes them appear more attractive on the outside.  In her book, Ms. Understood, Jen Hatmaker says,  "Our glory doesn't come from outward adornment, be it physical or circumstantial. Our beauty is patterned after God's; our visual beauty is a reflection of character."

One of the most beautiful women in the Bible is Ruth.  

Did you know that:

• Ruth is one of the very few characters in the Bible to be mentioned in both the Old and New Testament?
• Ruth was a farm girl, but she gave one of the most eloquent speeches known in history when she promises Naomi she'll go with her to Bethlehem?
• The story of Ruth is so ancient that it was a thousand years old when Jesus was born?
• Ruth is one of just two books in all of Scripture that bear the name of a woman? (The other one is Esther.)
• Ruth is Rahab's daughter-in-law?
• Ruth is the grandmother of King David?(ruthofthebible.com)

The Bible doesn't talk much about Ruth's physical appearance, but Ruth's inner beauty is demonstrated in her faithfulness and dedication to her mother-in-law, Naomi. "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me." (Ruth 1:16-17 NKJV) 

Now, I love my mother in law to death.  She is an amazing woman, but if my husband died, I'm not sure I'd be willing to leave my friends and family to follow her back to the farm in Indiana.  In fact, I'd probably pull an Orpah and hightail it straight back to Phoenix!  Because Ruth was beautiful on the inside, she became more beautiful to those that knew her.   Just ask Boaz.  He found her pretty hard to resist!

I stumbled across this great quote the other day: 

" Pretty is something you're born with. But beautiful, that's an equal opportunity adjective!"

I have come to accept a few things about my own physical beauty.

1. I will never be tall (5'3" is all I can aspire to) 

2. I will never be sexy (cute, but not sexy)

3. I will never have great hair

4. I am getting older by the day (I can now round my age to 40)

5. Gravity stinks!

The good news is that I am BEAUTIFUL in the eyes of my Savior.  He created me in his image and he loves me the way that I am.  "The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your Lord." (Psalm 45:11)