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Day 80: Beauty As He Sees It (SoS 2:1)

“ I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys.”

Song of Songs 2:1

The Bride continues to speak here. In the last verses ending chapter 1, she spoke about her beloved, then their bed and houses. Finally, she speaks again about herself. What she says about herself shows how much her time with the beloved had impacted her.

In Chapter 1:5 when she last spoke about herself, she said she was dark but lovely but here there is no mention of the word dark or her previous condition. Rather she calls herself a rose and a lily.

Rose here represents fragrant beauty and loveliness. And because Sharon is a plain of Judea said to be a very fertile land, it is to indicate this is a healthy flower not diseased or blemished in any way.

Beautiful flowers are admired by all. After hearing a number of times from her beloved that she is fair (beautiful and without blemish), she ascents to what he had called her. No longer did she consider herself dark. No longer is she crying not to be looked upon. She no longer feels unworthy of adoration.

When we encounter Jesus, we do not just receive a revelation of Him, He gives us a revelation of ourselves. Not a revelation of how we are but the way He sees us, what He has made us. It is in His light that we see light. It is in His identity we find our identity. David perfectly describes what the Bride just experienced in Psalm 36:8-9:

"They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light."

We see this example with Simon Peter in Matthew 16 when Jesus asked His disciples who men said He was. Simon Peter answered that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. In response Jesus told Him in verse 18:

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

It was a pivotal moment for Peter. It wasn't the first time Jesus changed his name, but this time, it came with a revelation of what the name really meant.

We see another such example in Genesis. Jacob after he left Laban in Genesis 32 wrestled with an angel and his name was changed to Israel. The Lord Himself appeared to Him again in Genesis 35 to reaffirm what He had said earlier. I believe it was in the second instance that his image of himself completely changed. It was then he truly received a revelation of who God had made him.

The lesson from this is God will affirm, reaffirm, and reaffirm again if need be what He has made and called us until we see ourselves as He sees us. He will reveal Himself multiple times so our eyes can behold His light, His beauty, then we'll see ours.

An encounter or revelation of God births a change of image within ourselves. God reveals Himself through His word that we may become what we see. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says in the Amplified Classic Version:

"And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit."

Effortless change comes by beholding Jesus in His word. As we spend time with Him like the Bride did with her Beloved, we see His loveliness. As we see His loveliness, He speaks to us of ours. And as we proclaim what He has made us, it becomes visible to us and to others.

No matter the contrary opinions, your history or events around you, you are beautiful and lovely to Jesus. You must spend time with Him and fellowship with Him through His word and boldly proclaim it. It's not enough to know you're beautiful, you must see your beauty as He sees it.

PRAY WITH ME:
Dear Lord, I lose sight today of my errors and flaws and see myself as You see me. I see myself lovely and beautiful because it's what You've made and called me. Open my eyes to all you have made me as I receive revelations of You. Amen.

REFLECT & ACT:
  • It's been eighty beautiful days of looking through the Song of Songs, how has your time with Jesus from the beginning of the year till now changed your image of yourself?
  • Make a habit of boldly proclaiming what Jesus has made you instead of your flaws.
  • What other areas of life would you like to change your perspective? How will you begin to work on them?

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