Beauty Lost

We thank you, O God, for revealing Your Son through the life of Leah
The ugly duckling who went through her life of endless disappointments
Thrown in by her deceitful dad to be a substitute-bride for a man
Whose heart is always attached not to her but her beautiful sister

Unlovely and unloved, she tried with all her might to be loved
Bearing children for her husband, hoping he would love her
Praying daily 'If only my husband would love me as he would my sister'
Only to be ignored over and over again by her husband

Until one day her self-hated soul is touched with the Gospel of grace
When she understands that what matters is God's love for her
When she is chosen to be the Messianic seed despite her performance
So she can stop chasing after others' love, approval, and attention

It no longer matters how other people see her, her weak eyes and all
Because You, O Lord, love her as a Bridegroom loves His beautiful bride
The God of heavens chose the despised, the ugly, the rejected
What a story, what a mystery!

Until we realize that we were Leahs.
Unlovely because of our sin-ridden souls
Unloved by the world no matter how hard we try
But Lord, You love us and You make us lovely

Because Christ Jesus, Your Son, who is beautiful beyond description
Came to us in human form with "no beauty that we should desire him"
So that we who who are unlovely are made beautiful in Your eyes.
Christ lost His majestic beauty so that our ugliness is covered by His beauty

As Your heavenly bride, remind us each day O Lord
You didn't die for us because we are worthy
But because you died for us, we are made worthy
Our worth and lives rest secured in You

As Your heavenly bride, teach us each day O Lord
To never seek our happiness from this world nor praises from people
For not only will we be chasing disappointment after disappointment
But because we now know You alone are our happiness and praise