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Day 55: Love is Perfect Sight (SoS 1:8a)

“If you do not know, O fairest among women, Follow in the footsteps of the flock, And feed your little goats Beside the shepherds’ tents.”

Song of Songs 1:8

Many times in the Bible, the disciples asked certain questions one would expect them to know the answer to, or lacked understanding of Jesus' words when they should understand. There were times they lacked faith and spoke in unbelief. Jesus was always tender to them in those moments. When He scolded, He scolded in love, when He taught, He taught patiently.

In verse 3 when the Bride began to speak about herself, she said she is dark but lovely. The Beloved speaks for the first time in reply to all she had said and her question. He started by calling her the fairest, most beautiful among women without even acknowledging her darkness. This showed that her darkness was not even significant to him.

What Jesus sees in us is a perfect image of Himself. Just like a sculptor does not see a weirdly shaped stone but that which is conceived in His mind's eye, Jesus sees us as we are in His sight. It is with that image He works in, on, and through us. It is with that image in mind He patiently works on our weaknesses and image of ourselves, chipping away that which is not of Him until we are indeed the fairest among all.

God never sees what we think we are, He sees what He has made us. We see an example of this when the Lord appeared to Gideon and asked Him to save Israel from the Midianites in Judges 6. Gideon said of himself in verse 15 (Good News Translation):

“...But Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least important member of my family.”

But the Lord said of Him in verse 12 (Amplified Classic version):

"...The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage"

We see in subsequent verses how the Lord was patient with Gideon, giving Him every needed sign to assure Him he is what He says he is. Gideon did display the courage the Lord had put in Him, and truly appeared to all to be a mighty man of fearless courage. There are many more examples of such in the Bible. Moses, Jeremiah, Saul, and so many others encountered God this way.

We shouldn't believe our weaknesses more than what He says about us or how He sees us. We shouldn't believe what we think we are more than what He says He has made us. We shouldn't believe our past more than the future He has proclaimed to us.

When we say we are sinful, He says we're righteous. When we say we're deserving of punishment, He says we're justified. When we say we're undeserving, He says we're loved. When we say we can't speak, He says He has put His words in our mouths. When we say we're incapable, He says we are mighty men of fearless courage.

My Pastor, Pastor Ayo Ajani of Petra Christian Centre will always say:

"Love is perfect sight."

Love covers all imperfections. Love is the filter Jesus our Beloved sees through. So in His eyes, there is no blemish, no imperfections, no weaknesses and He relates us in such manner.

I'll end with something Charles Spurgeon said on this topic that should be our decision from this day hence:

"I would rather trust Christ’s eyes than mine. If my eyes tell me I am black I will weep, but if he assures me I am fair I will believe him and rejoice."

PRAY WITH ME:
Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see myself as you see me. Let your perception of me be more real to me than my imperfections and weaknesses from this day. Amen.

REFLECT AND ACT:
  • As long as we're on this side of eternity, we will constantly have to realign our sight with God's. Write down things you know God has said about you whether through prophecies or the Bible that you are not convinced of yet.
  • Memorize, put it in your schedule to meditate on, confess and rejoice about them daily.

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