If I asked you, “what is your friend like?” Would you answer with a physical description: tall, short, blonde, brunette, skinny, overweight? Or would you say something about her personality? She’s smart, loving, kind, strong willed, easygoing, funny, etc. Such characteristics define who we are and how we express ourselves to the world, our friends, and family. In addition, we often add to the description what that person likes to do: drive a fancy pickup truck or sports car, be with his family, or always helping others.
Is there a difference between like and likeness? How about if I asked you, are you like Jesus or do you want to walk in His likeness? Being like someone means you are similar. But if you hold a person’s likeness, there is much more. Photographers and painters try to capture a person’s likeness. That embodies not only the physical characteristics but the personality that is revealed from one’s face and body.
What does all this have to do with a walk or hike in nature? When we go into the forest or hike across a meadow, what we see reflects God’s character. It tells us about Him. He fills the meadows with His personal collection of wildflowers, then adorns them with jewels—butterflies, bees, and birds. Their fragrance and song delight our senses. The beauty we see around us reflects His likeness.
He fills the rivers to overflowing with clear sparkling water that courses over rocks and down magnificent waterfalls. The sunlight catches the water as it tumbles and then sparkles on the river’s surface. The river that flows from the throne of God has this same magnificent quality.
Climb a mountain trail to experience the view of the Smokey Mountains and you are viewing majesty. Standing on the beach watching waves crash reflects power and beauty. Everything He places around us displays His likeness because it displays His character.
As God’s ultimate creative work, He made us in His likeness. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’” (1) We can choose to walk in this likeness or walk in our own likeness.
He also admonishes us.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” (2)
You might ask, are we majestic like the mountains? Yes. We carry some of His majesty as His created work, made in His image. Anyone who has studied the human body, particularly at the cellular level, would agree that we are a majestic creation.
Are we generous with our gifts and talents? Do we reflect His love, kindness, and goodness? Do we sparkle with His light from within or wear the mantle of darkness of our culture? Am I known because of my power and position or am I known because of my Christian walk and testimony?
Ask yourself, am I walking daily in His likeness, or in my likeness? Are you satisfied with being like Jesus? Or do you want His likeness to define you and your purpose on earth? We will walk in His likeness in our eternal home. Maybe this is practice?
“And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”
Ezekiel 1:26-28 (Emphasis mine)
- Genesis 1:26 ESV (Emphasis mine)
- Exodus 20:4 ESV (Emphasis mine)
