Behold!

Maui Sunset

I decided to start 2023 by listening to the Bible every day.

I use the Dwell app because it offers a variety of Bible versions narrated by men and women from across the globe in a choice of three languages. The listener may also choose background music or sounds.

I usually choose Mark from the U.S. as my narrator; he reads the English Standard Version, along with a rotation of music. But I also love Simon‘s British accent as he reads the New King James Version. Throw in some Gregorian chant in the background and I can almost touch the cold stone walls of an ancient cathedral.

Yeah, I can be old school. Really old.

It wasn’t until I started listening to Scripture each morning that I realized how often the Lord and His people beheld things.

It starts in Genesis 1:29, when God introduces Adam and Eve to their food groups. And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed for its fruit. You shall have them for food.” (ESV)

The beholding continues from there and doesn’t stop until Revelation. There I find one of my favorite quotes from Jesus:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 (ESV)

Does anyone behold anything anymore?

The World Book Dictionary defines behold as a verb meaning “to look at; see; observe.” It can also be used as an interjection, as in the verses above: “Look!”

The definition does not say this, but I believe using “behold” implies something momentous is about to be pronounced.

Not…

“Behold, I have found a spiral-sliced ham marked down to .99 cents per pound at Walmart.”

“Behold, the laundry basket is empty.”

“Behold, the second cousin of my best friend in third grade just posted a picture of her new kitten on Instagram.”

It’s so easy to drown in inconsequential things. The minutiae of 21st century life swallow me up, and too often I gladly jump into the quicksand. Chores have to be done, but what about the moments spent on Facebook or on a retail or news site? Do I hear a whispered “Behold!” as I scroll through the clearance at Kohl’s?

And I dare not be completely transparent when it comes to television. How many times do I need to see a rerun of “Murder, She Wrote”?

These bits of fluff aren’t necessarily bad things. You know that, as do I. But they can drag our attention away from the Lord’s gentle nudges. I don’t imagine God is going to show up by my bedside tonight and establish a new covenant with me. But if I pay attention, I can hear Jesus’s soft voice:

“Behold this sunset.”

“Behold the firm grasp of this child’s soft, perfect hand.”

“Behold the music of water.”

Jesus, open my heart to behold your beauty. Every day. Always.

One of our grandchildren when she was brand new

Blackwater Falls in West Virginia

Navarre Beach, Florida