Hardwired for Beauty
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1.27
Growing up, my mom was an amazing gardener. She loved to grow flowers the most. She would buy plants that didn’t look like they were going to make it and breathe life into them. Now, her mind isn’t what it once was, but she is still inspired by and drawn to beauty in a powerful way. She cultivated beauty constantly. Likewise, we are also hardwired for beauty.
Our Creator is a master at creating beauty. One needs only look at His creation in order to know this. The splendor of a peacock, the glory of a freshly opened flowerbud, the colors of a sunset, the majesty of a waterfall–all point to a Creator who loves beauty. The mark of our Creator is indelible over His creation. Beauty is everywhere if we have the eyes to see it. Deep within all of us is a reverence and a preference for beauty.
Culturally, there’s the tendency to overemphasize beauty or completely negate it. Messages from society can sound like “don’t be so superficial” or “function over form,” can cause us to feel embarrassed for loving beauty. True beauty can seem impractical, frivolous, superfluous, or unnecessary, but it isn’t to God. As we look at the very young or the very old, it is easy to see their draw to beauty and their deep heartfelt appreciation, wonder, and awe of beautiful things. May we all return to the delight and wonder of a child as they view the world. Beauty connects us with our Creator and brings warmth to our hearts.
God is inviting us to return to wonder and reverence for beauty. To view the world with the expectancy and wonder of a child, to marvel at the intentionality of our Creator, to glory in beauty. If you feel that you have lost your wonder for beauty and have become caught up in the burdens of the practical, this word is for you. Beauty is an aspect of God’s nature, so taking time to appreciate beauty is part of taking time to appreciate Him. Open your eyes to see the beauty that’s all around you. Be intentional and take time to posture your heart in wonder. Go for a walk in nature, visit a beach or a waterfall, watch the sunset, and take pictures so you can remember the beauty that you saw. Talk to God about His creation. Cultivate beauty in your life. As you do, you will encounter a piece of God’s heart.
Fresh Faith
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Hebrews 11.1
Fresh faith is being stirred up at this time to believe again in the promises of God. Some people have been contending for so long that their faith has grown stagnant and is no longer fresh. God is infusing you right now with a new level of expectancy and faith to believe for the promises God has given you. You might still even say that you have faith for the promise, but the urgency, expectancy and life is not present like it once was. Over time, your belief has become lackluster and dusty. It is time to BELIEVE AGAIN!
There is a substance to faith that changes things in the spirit realm and we know that it is impossible to please God without it (Hebrews 11.6). Allow God to breathe life into your heart and take hold of the faith that is being released right now! Faith for the impossible! Faith for hopeless situations! Faith for miracles! Faith for restoration! Faith for abundance! There is so much more that God has for you! It is time to confidently believe again! It’s in the waiting that we develop our faith.
God is pouring out fresh faith in the spirit realm for you to access. Stir up your faith so that you can confidently grab hold of your promise once more. Faith attracts the promise to you–hold fast to faith, even when you feel discouraged.
If you have been weary of contending for your promise and not seeing it come to pass, access fresh faith and hope. It is not too late, even if you have lost expectancy for your promise. God is breathing fresh life and faith back into your being. Grab hold of the faith that is being released. Stir up your faith again so that you are overflowing with hope. Ask a friend to pray for you if you don’t feel the shift on your own. Be expectant! God is moving!
Known by a Loving Father
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Psalm 139.13
Our God loves us and cares about the things that matter to us. Our beliefs about Father God are shaped powerfully by our experience of our earthly father. If you experienced an absent father when you were growing up, then you will subconsciously expect the same from Father God-you won’t believe that He will show up for you or that He even cares for you. Even if you had an incredible earthly father, He wasn’t perfect, and those imperfections can get transferred to your beliefs about God. Our God longs to meet not only your needs, but the desires of your heart.
He wants to show you how well He knows you and how much He loves you. He knit you together inside your mother’s womb, and He made you just as you are on purpose! You are precious to Him! He knows your needs, your desires and He wants to partner with you in seeing them happen. Not only does He want to give you what you need, but He longs to delight you by giving you what you want. There is no one like you in all the earth, and that was by design.
God is showing you how He knows you by meeting the desires of your heart in incredible ways that only He can. He cares about the dreams and desires on your heart and the things deep inside of you that only you know. If you are feeling alone or unknown right now, share with God the desires in your heart. Share with him even the deepest things. Ask Him to bring you people and connections and to fulfill the dreams in your heart in the way only He can. Watch and wait with expectation and anticipation!
Time to Dream Again
For nothing will be impossible with God.
Luke 1.37
When we get bogged down under the weight of stressors ( e.g. inflation, job loss, illness, death, paying bills, loneliness, relationship trouble, a job we don’t love etc.),it can be a challenge to dream of the future. As these things begin to zap our energy and life, dreaming can feel harder and harder. We may not even realize that this is happening, but over time we can start to feel disillusioned and jaded. We all need things to look forward to or life becomes monotonous and without purpose. Many are trapped in a lifeless place, and it is exhausting.
Things are shifting in the spirit realm and it is time to dream again! Suddenly things will change as God fills you with hope. You will feel the burden and weight you’ve been carrying lift suddenly, and you’ll be able to breathe deeply and relax. God is shifting your perspective to allow you to see what’s possible with Him-that which seemed impossible before. Excitement and hope will bubble up inside of you as you shift into believing it’s possible. From this place it becomes easy to dream of the future, and of what’s possible.
God is shifting your perspective so you can see that nothing is impossible with God! Watch as He moves on your behalf lining things up as only He can. As you begin to see in a new way, you’ll feel the desire to dream again arise within you. If you have felt stuck and haven’t been dreaming for some time, this word is for you. You may feel hopeless or not know how to move forward.
Allow God to shift your perspective. Give your burdens to Him. Trust Him to help you and move on your behalf. Spend some time in His presence dreaming with Him. And watch what He does!
©2022 All Rights Reserved
Written by Anne E. Ballard
At The Crowning Jewels, it's our desire and our mission to bring encouragement, to build others up, and to bring comfort to people’s lives (1 Corinthians 14.3). Each month our founder, Anne, asks the Lord what He’s doing in the coming month and for any words of encouragement He might have for His people. We believe that prophetic words need to be encouraging and edifying. Moreover, with a corporate prophetic word, not all words are applicable to all people. If our words bless you, please take hold of them and apply them in your own life. If it’s not specific to you, please pass it on to someone else who might be blessed.
As always, the prophetic is a free gift from heaven and will always be something we freely share. As a prophetic business, it’s our mission to bring encouragement and edification to people through the free gift of prophecy, with our product being jewelry.
DECLARATIONS
We at The Crowning Jewels believe in the absolute, transformational power of declarations. We know that truth comes by hearing (Romans 10.17), and speaking truth is an active way for us to renew our minds (Romans 12.2). We invite you to partner with what God is doing and say these declarations for the remainder of the month. We would love to hear what God does! Please email us your testimony at hello@thecrowningjewels.com.
December Declarations
1. God is filling me with fresh wonder and eyes to see the beauty all around me.
2. I am receiving fresh faith to expect the promises of God to come to pass.
3. God knows me deeply and is fulfilling the desires of my heart.
4. God is encouraging my heart so that I can dream again.
5. I am precious to God and His Presence is always with me.
Each month we design two limited edition pieces of jewelry, only available for that month, handmade with words and charms that reflect the monthly prophetic word. If this word resonates with you and you'd like to wear a reminder of its truths, click the pieces below to shop!
