Beautiful Way | Lesson 7, Part 2

Greetings MOL Family!

In today’s study, we will be looking at some of the essential parts of God’s beautiful program…

A Gift From God

One of the ways to put on your beautiful garments, dear friends, is to get to bed at night, so that you can wake up in the morning… refreshed!

He giveth his beloved sleep. – Psalm 127:2

In Testimonies for the Church, Volume 1, page 687, Sister White speaks of sleep – “nature’s sweet restorer.” I like that. Don’t you? Now, the world, the slaves of satan, many of them spend much of the night showing off their artificial beauty, and engaging in vain amusements. Did you know that is why they have to use makeup? I will read it to you:

The majority of pleasure lovers attend the fashionable night gatherings, and spend in exciting amusements the hours God has given them for quiet rest and sleep in order to invigorate the body. … They are robbing the cheeks of the glow of health, and then to supply the deficiency use cosmetics. – My Life Today, pg. 143

That is how cosmetics came to be used. Oh, God isn’t simply taking away the rouge and the lipstick; He is giving us something far better, my friends – sleep – which will put the roses in the cheeks. Read these beautiful words from the Lord’s messenger, and watch for the beauty of the rose, and how to get it:

God has surrounded us with his glories, that the natural eye may be charmed. The splendor of the heavens, the adornments of nature in spring and summer, the lofty trees, the lovely flowers of every tint and hue, should call us out of our houses to contemplate the power and glory of God, as seen in the works of his hands. But many close their senses to these charms. They will not engage in healthful labor among the beautiful things of nature. They turn from shrubs and flowers, and shut themselves in their houses, to labor and toil in closed walls, depriving themselves of the healthful, glorious sunlight, and the pure air, that they may prepare artificial adornments for their houses and their persons. They impose upon themselves a terrible tax. They sacrifice the glow of health God has given in the human face, the blended beauty of the lily and the rose, and tax the physical and mental in preparing the artificial to take the place of the natural. The beauty of the soul, when compared with outward display, is regarded almost valueless. In the anxiety to meet the standard of fashion, beauty of character is overlooked. – Review and Herald, October 17, 1871

Isn’t that a beautiful presentation of the beautiful way? Oh, friends, part of God’s beautiful way, then, is to get out of our houses and into nature. Isn’t it nice to live where there is something when you get out of the house besides pavement and asphalt? Oh, yes. Thank God. And out there in the garden, among the trees, the flowers, we are to find health and beauty, beauty of soul, beauty of body, health – abounding life.

A Program For Preparation

Outdoor exercise, we are told in Fundamentals of Christian Education, page 73, gives us ten times more health benefits than indoor exercise. So, let us think of sleep and outdoor exercise as outstanding in God’s program to develop His bride, and to give her those beautiful garments of health and peace and joy that shine out in the countenance.

Again, I say this is all very practical. I would like to look at that 52nd chapter of Isaiah again:

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace. – Isaiah 52:7

Beautiful feet? Yes, beautiful feet. Certainly they won’t be these deformed, twisted things that up-to-date shoes are producing. Will they? God wants us, my dear friends, to have a thought about our foot-gear.

Do you think the bride of Jesus is going to have to ape the fashions of France and Hollywood in order to get ready for the wedding, my friends? Do you think she is going to come hobbling in on these monstrosities that are deforming the feet of people today? Nothing of the kind. Oh, friends, how beautiful God’s ways. But it takes exercise to develop beautiful feet – outdoor exercise, if we are going to go on the mountains as this is talking about. This is all very practical.

There is another part of this beauty. I mustn’t say much about it, because it might offend somebody. But I will at least be permitted to give you a reference. And then you can read it in the Bible for yourself. It tells how a woman may have glory and beauty: 1 Corinthians 11:14-15. Here is another part of God’s program of health and restoration.

Let us turn to 2 Corinthians 7:1. This is very practical; it isn’t just symbolic. (It is symbolic, but it is more than symbolic; it is very literal, and you will see that as you read it.)

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. – 2 Corinthians 7:1

Which one of the remedies, that we call the natural remedies, does this verse call for, would you say? [Water, that’s right.] Water for cleansing.

Now, if all there is to it is a spiritual matter, why put in the flesh? My dear friends, we need to get the filthy tobacco out of the mouth. We need to get the poisons out of the bloodstream that modern living produces. We need to get rid of everything that defiles, and then we need to cleanse ourselves inside and out. What do you say?

Water. Oh, thank God for water in health and in disease, God’s remedy. Drink it and use it. It is part of the program to get the bride ready.

And then the program of diet. As we have mentioned, when God brought His people out of Egypt, He gave them a program of diet. Exodus 23:25, He said He would bless their bread and water and take sickness away. Has He given us a program of diet? No people in all the ages have ever had the light on diet such as this people have had: Counsels on Diet and Foods, Ministry of Healing. And it is all to lead us back to the Eden program and live the Eden life.

I was thinking of it this way, friends. Natural foods for natural beauty. How do you like that? And if we eat too many foods that have on the label “artificially colored and flavored,” then we create a group of people that are likely to have such labels on their faces. God wants the color to be in the blood and shine out, see; and if we will take whole grains, it will produce a whole man.

Now, the last point that I am going to give you in this program of getting the bride ready, and this is most important of all: Nehemiah 8:10 put down in your notes:

Neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. – Nehemiah 8:10

Oh, yes. God wants His people to be the happiest people in all the world. In fact, His people are the only truly happy people. We are to cherish joy and peace. Ah, but someone says, “There is so much to be burdened about.” Well, what does the hymn say? “Take it to the Lord in prayer.” Oh, what a privilege we have to go to the secret place of prayer and pour out our souls to God in prayer. And then as we meet others, instead of appearing to men to fast – mournful, sad – we are to carry the joy of the Lord.

Now, will you turn to our closing text, the 61st chapter of Isaiah. Isn’t Isaiah a beautiful book? This is the work of Jesus and He wants to accomplish it fully in His remnant church:

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. – Isaiah 61:3

Oh, let’s do it. Let’s lay down the burden and take the beauty. Let’s lay down the sorrow and carry away the solace. Let’s give up the ashes and take these lovely garments of righteousness, of peace, of joy.

The invitation is yours to accept… What do you say, friends?

Join us next week, as we continue this beautiful journey to discover more about God’s beautiful way. Invite a friend, and we’ll see you then… 

-Continue on to the next study-

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* This study has been adapted from classes taken by Elder W.D. Frazee.