…O fairest among women… (Song of Songs 1:8 NKJV)

He speaks!

Verse 8 contains the Shepherd’s first words in the Song.

And look at how He addresses our damsel in distress. Fairest of them all!

With all our girl is stressing over:

Her conflict of inner and outer cleanliness
The abuse of her mother’s sons
The disrepair of her vineyard
Her feeling of separation
See how He addresses her.

Most beautiful among women (NASB)

He sees her as beautiful, most beautiful – the fairest of them all!

The common meaning of the word fair does not do this verse justice. (Yep – I just used fair and justice together.) If it weren’t for Snow White’s evil witch and her mirror query, we would not even know that fair means beautiful.

Let me touch on something amazing about Jesus here.

Heb 12:2 says that Jesus, for the joy set before Him endured the cross. Jesus could discern in us, in you and I, something magnificent and it propelled Him toward the cross. We still don’t see it. Not in ourselves, and not in our brothers and sisters.

You say, I am dark and beautiful, but Jesus says, I see the one My Father created to walk in good works prepared long ago. I see a completely successful daughter and son, with fully realized potential. I saw that while you were still my enemy. I knew about it while you were still actively hostile toward Me. That is why I laid down my life.

Now you may not walk in your full potential, but God sees you there. You are beautiful to Him.  

Think of the diamond cutter who sees the finished gem in the dirty rock. God can see what He created us for. Or the quote of uncertain origin about Michelangelo. He saw beauty in a block of marble and just chipped away all the bits that didn’t look like David. God’s plan for you is similar.

Don’t get me wrong, you will answer for what you do with all that potential. But when you turn your faces toward the Shepherd, He sees what you can be. He loves you and puts all His unlimited resources in motion to get you moving toward that amazing ‘you’ that He sees. He takes the chisel of His love to the excess marble in your life and starts chipping away everything that doesn’t look like Him.

God Bless you today – Turn your attention and affection toward the Shepherd today and walk toward the ‘you’ He sees!

Remember:

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 

There is much more to say – so come back next week.

You’re beautiful

Ben