Beauty in the tension, what does this mean?
You may be thinking as I do, how can there be anything beautiful in my pain, in my struggles, or in the dark season I am in. Life is hard, it’s ugly at times, and at moments I wonder if I can survive this at all. Those moments are where I hear the Holy Spirit whispering to my soul, “breathe Kristin, breathe.”
When we think of the word beauty, it is often associated with outer appearances or visible layers of creation that take on a form of spectacular splendor right before our eyes. The beauty in the tension is about the glorious, magnificent, life-changing work Jesus does in us in the middle of our struggles.
In times of tension, difficulty, in places when there is the push and pull associated with it, the Holy Spirit is there as well. In Genesis 1:1-2 we read,
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
In our chaotic mess, the dark places where we struggle to find light, the Holy Spirit is right there with us. We may not always “feel” the Presence of God; nonetheless, God is with us.
In Acts 3, the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully. God did a miracle in the life of the man who sat at the gate called Beautiful. Ironic, isn’t it? He was sitting at the gate Beautiful. How many of us are sitting at this gate too? Broken, hurting, wounded, sick, struggling, tired, overwhelmed, in over our heads, and in need of a miracle. The good news is that we are not alone, God is with us, and the Holy Spirit is right there, right here with us.
I think we need to just breathe that in. The Holy Spirit is right here with us.
- You are not alone.
- I am not alone.
- The Holy Spirit is right here with us now.
There is so much I would like to say, but I feel this is all the Holy Spirit wants to speak to our hearts today.
Whatever you are facing, the Holy Spirit is right here with you now.
God sees your need, He hears your heart cry, and your miracle is right here. Look up from your place of despair and know you are not alone. God spoke in the beginning, and the empty chaotic mess took form. Peter extended a hand to the man at the gate, and he found his miracle. God has an answer for you, my friend, right there in the middle of whatever you are facing as you sit at the gate Beautiful. It is a work of splendor and beauty deep within you.
Today, let’s breathe in the Presence of the Holy Spirit and pray for one another as we wait for our miracles. Read Isaiah 43 and turn it into a prayer over your life. Pray God’s Word and the peace of God will come to us as we wait upon the Lord for our miracles.
