One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4 NIV)

          Have you ever been lost? Perhaps a lengthy road trip? Or even something close to home? It can be frustrating, nerve wrecking, and even a little worrisome. The word in itself encompasses a certain negative connotation in the way that we have come to understand it. Lost is defined by Oxford English Dictionary as “Of which someone has been deprived; not retained in possession; no longer to be found.” Just reading it doesn't paint the prettiest picture, does it?

          But what if, we lose ourselves in perfection. Not just any perfection; rather, His perfection. What if we seek Him with all our might? How much greater will we not be for Him and in Him? David sought God; seeking His beauty, His righteousness. Oh how amazing to “lose” ourselves in Him. For in the process of “losing” ourselves in Him, we find who we really are and what we really should be. Initially it can be scary and hurtful as looking within ourselves is a painful process. Yet, though humbled at His feet, we are never degraded. Rather, we are welcomed with open arms and transformed in His glory. Paul wrote “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV)

          Sometimes we do not allow ourselves to “lose” ourselves because out of our very nature we fear the unknown. We look for fullness in other places and that just brings us pain, shame, guilt and regret. Gospel artist Fred Hammond's “Lost in you again” says

Seems like I’ve spent this whole life of mine
Searching and searching trying to find
A life filled with love that You already gave
Because of the searching, it pulled me away
I found all the heartache, I found all the pain
I found all the drama, I found all the shame
But my search will not end, no my search will not end
Till I find myself, Lost in You again,

 Yet if we dare ourselves to deprive ourselves of “us” and become filled with Him, if we seek Him and His righteousness and grace we would soon realize, He's what we never knew we always wanted. But moreover, He is what we never knew we always needed.

          I pray that as we reflect on this devotional and this bible chapter (I strongly encourage you to take a moment and meditate in the chapter in its entirety), we lose ourselves in Him. In worshipping Him! In living for Him! In searching through the unseen crevices of His grace as we seek and experience the beauty that is our awesome God.

In His Infinite Love,
Natalie Mercedes