HAVING GOD AS YOUR BEAUTY

Meditation on Psalm 48

It must have been something special to live under the reign of King David — to witness his devotion, his armies, his music, and his deep reliance on God. David looked to God for everything: strength, direction, protection, and even beauty.

One area that stands out in Psalm 48 is the way David draws a connection between God's presence and the beauty of Mount Zion. He doesn’t just describe God as a refuge or a ruler — he sees God as the very beauty of the city.

• God is Zion’s strength and stability:

  “God makes her secure forever” (v.8)

• God is Zion’s protection:

  “God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress” (v.3)

• God is Zion’s beauty and joy:

  “Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth, like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King” (v.2)

This is more than poetic admiration — it’s profound devotion. David recognizes that what makes Zion truly beautiful is God’s presence within it.

Let us, like David, learn to see God as the source of our strength, our security — and even our beauty.

Today, may you declare with confidence:

“This God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.” (v.14)