“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
—Genesis 1:27

With its gorgeous bluish-green color, the Mediterranean Sea, viewed from Caesarea, Israel, is one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. And its splendor reminds me of how beautiful God is. Sometimes when we think of God’s nature, we think about His holiness, His justice, or His moral attributes. Or we may think about His omnipotence and His omniscience, that He’s all-powerful and all-knowing. But when people think of God, they often don’t realize that one of His most foundational attributes is His beauty.

The beauty of God is reflected in the world around us. The Bible says in Romans 1:20 that “since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” In other words, God’s attributes are not unknown to us; we can understand much of who He is through what He has made on the earth.

That’s what happened to me when I looked at the gorgeous turquoise water of the Mediterranean. It was so remarkable it was almost beyond words, and its beauty gave me a deeper sense of the reality of the beauty of HaShem.

But it isn’t only nature that reflects the beauty of God. Beloved, I want to tell you today that because you’re made in God’s image, you’re beautiful too. The devil is called the accuser of the brethren for a reason; he accuses God’s people day and night, trying to cover us with dirt and shame. But I want you to know it’s all a lie. You’re beautiful to God, and He loves you. What is inside you is more beautiful than the Mediterranean Sea.

Father God, You are beautiful, and Your beauty is reflected in what You have made. Lord, help me to ignore the lies of the enemy and believe that because I am made in Your image, I am beautiful too. Father, I ask that You give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation to know You and how You see me.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Rivers of Revelation (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2020), Used by permission.