The Ballestero Blog

Is God Ugly?

I ask the question out of sincerity. Is He ugly? With respect, I wish to point out that the Lord did not use Madison Avenue type marketing ploys to present His message to mankind. He always hid the beauty. Everyone has to get past the ugly if they want to know more about God.

Ark

Imagine an Ark made of Gopher wood and smeared all over on the outside with dark pitch. There is absolutely not attractive about that mental picture in my mind. The only beauty I can see was on the inside. The beauty of the inside was that it provided safety from the storm.

Tabernacle in the Wilderness

Dyed Badger skins covered the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. This tent housed the dwelling place for the Shekinah survived over 400 years in the Wilderness. The attraction of the Tabernacle was not the beauty of its architecture or its appearance. The beauty was on the inside. The workmanship of all the holy things was beautiful and awe-inspiring. But the real beauty was God’s Mercy and Forgiveness.

The Gentiles never got to enjoy what was on the inside. They could only see the shape and outline from a distance.

Jesus Christ

Isa 53: 2 …he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

1 Peter 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:

From the writings of Isaiah, it appears that the prophecies concerning the Messiah do not describe Him as handsome. The Prophet said that it would not be his physical features that drew the crowds to Him.

In other words, the Messiah was not going to be favored with striking good looks. But to them that believed, (or to them that knew Him,) He was found to be precious! He is all of the definitions of precious and some more besides.

Is God Ugly To You?

Then Evidently You Don’t Know Him Very Well!

• If living for Him is not something very “precious” to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If obedience to His Word is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If loving your neighbor as yourself is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If forgiving one another is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If you criticize your pastor and your church, you don’t know Him very well.

• If holy living is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If being faithful to church is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If giving God your tithes is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If supporting Missions is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If living separate from the world is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.

• If worship is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If demonstration in praise is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If clapping your hands is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If leaping for joy is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If praising Him in a dance is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.

• If praising Him with a loud voice is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If the music is always too loud for you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If prayer time is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If fasting is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If travailing for souls is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.

• If saying ‘Amen’ in church is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If modesty is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If witnessing to the lost is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If a Godly commitment is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If trusting Him is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.

• If preferring one another is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If striving for unity in the church is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If revival time is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If humbling yourself before the Lord is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If you love pleasure more than you love God, you don’t know Him very well.

• If you think your sacrifice is better than your obedience, you don’t know Him very well.
• If you have to be begged to come to church, you don’t know Him very well.
• If repentance is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If baptism in Jesus Name is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.
• If receiving the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in other tongues is ugly to you, you don’t know Him very well.

• If you are not afraid to tell Him NO, you don’t know Him very well.
• If you only believe He is a God of love and will never punish your sin, you don’t know Him very well.
• If you don’t believe there’s a “Judgment Day” coming, you don’t know Him very well.
• If you don’t believe He is coming again, you don’t know Him very well.

There is one question that bottom-lines this for us all. The answer will tell you much about your walk with Him. Here’s the question:

“Is He Precious To YOU?”

I don’t mean, can you say you love Him. I mean… is he really precious to you?

My mother’s older sister Elnora Gleason Smith wrote the following song, whose chorus I wish to share. She recorded this when I was a very young boy. She also sang and played the steel guitar on the record.

“He’s Sweeter, More Precious”

He’s sweeter, more precious than silver or gold.

His great love for me has never been told.

What a comfort to go to Him daily in prayer,

He’s sweeter, more precious, than tongue can declare.

Thank you, Aunt Nori. I certainly agree!