Storing Beauty in My Heart

I woke up very early yesterday morning so I could have one last bike-ride on the beach before leaving the most beautiful place on earth. Well, partially that is why I woke up early. The other reason is that my nutty dog, Lucky, decided he was hungry and wanted to let me know this at 5 a.m.  First he nosed my laptap off the end-table so that it fell on the floor. Then he whined. While I wanted to kill him, I was glad he had gotten me out in time to say goodbye to the ocean. Normally I paint pictures for my blog, but this photo so perfectly portrays the gorgeous scene of the morning that I felt I must show you. It is doubly astonishing since it is taken with my phone, from a moving bike! The magnificence of the sun on the waves made it even sadder and harder to leave for home, but I tried to store the beauty in my heart so it would carry me through any dreary times ahead.

This is a valuable principle. We should not only store up beauty in our hearts against the ugliness of the world, but God tells us we should do the same with His word, so that we may not wander from His commands and purpose. There will be times when darkness closes in and we will no longer be upheld by the sheer grandeur of life and our surroundings and circumstances. At those times, when we close our eyes and the world around us seems to be collapsing in depravity and sin, how blessed to still hear God's voice, picture His glorious creation, and not waver from His path.

I biked in the new morning, watching the ocean mingle with the rising sun. It was such a hopeful scene, so inspiring of good things to come, like a promise, a window peeking at eternity. Remember this, I thought.

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Psalm 119: 10-11
How can a young man keep his way pure?
    By guarding it according to your word.
¹⁰ With my whole heart I seek you;
    let me not wander from your commandments!
¹¹ I have stored up your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.