DCLM Daily Manna 11 October 2021 — What Does God Think Of You?
TOPIC: WHAT DOES GOD THINK OF YOU?
📜 TEXT:SONG OF SOLOMON 1:5-8📜
5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.
7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?
8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.
🔑📖KEY VERSE: “Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept” (SONG OF SOLOMON 1:6).
Many believers hold themselves to a standard the Lord has not prescribed for them. As a result, they become insecure in faith and they keep doubting their standing before God. Lacking in confidence and assurance of God’s love, they end up living a mediocre Christian life and fail to achieve their full potential in Christ.
Also Read: Open Heaven 11 October 2021 – An Avenue For Demon-Possession
The lady in our text was the well beloved of King Solomon. She correctly described herself as very dark and lovely. Yet, she was conscious of her appearance almost to a fault. She was dark complexioned and therefore, looked different from the women she found in Jerusalem who were all light skinned and are not given to hard work. She was accustomed to hard labour, having been forced by her siblings to care for the vineyard. She worked hard under the scorching sun, and soon became deeply dark.
She did not see any advantage in this, though she had little time to care for herself. As other ladies gazed at her everywhere she went in Jerusalem, she rebuked them. But as it turned out, Solomon loved her so much for her dark skin and described her as the most beautiful among women. He urged her to remain dedicated to her work.
What you see as a disadvantage may, in fact, be your trump card. Therefore, do not see yourself as unloved and unwanted by God. Once Christ has forgiven your sins, learn to forgive yourself too. Never doubt His love so long as you are walking in the light of the gospel. He loves you so deeply, and is always touched by your challenges and feelings of inadequacy. Thus, He will neither leave nor forsake you.
✍🏽THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: You are more valuable to God than many sparrows.
📜THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 22-25📜
MEDITATION
NATURAL, INNER AND MORAL BEAUTY
1. The bride’s low esteem due to natural complexion
a. The bride described herself by her complexion which was not due to her carefree attitude toward her apperance but rather due to nature and environmental exposures, vv5,6.
b. She compared her complexion to rough and weather stained shepherds’ tents, v5.
c. She had a sense of self contempt and inferiority complex because of her appearance which was simply natural, beyond her control in the context of godliness, v5.
d. The bride quickly appealed to people not to judge her by her natural appearance but by her inner beauty, which can be likened to the desirable and colourful curtains of Solomon, vv5,6.
e. The bridegroom was wiser. He put less premium on outward natural beauty but more premium on inner beauty and holiness. No wonder, he (Solomon) was called the wisest king before he backslid, v8.
f. In fact, contrary to her low self esteem as a result of her perceived contemptible appearance, the bridegroom appreciated her beauty and called her the “fairest among women”, v8. So her self perception was wrong. So “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.
g. Even though all is expected to take good care of appearance and be presentable, ugly mentality is carnality and false self perception👌
2. The wisdom in natural and moral beauty
a. No lady should indulge in spending fortunes and time on artificial beauty. Well kept natural beauty remains the God’s acceptable beauty.
b. Nobody should allow inferiority complex or low esteem as a result of her natural complexion. Many will still see you as the “fairest among women or men” while if you yield to unatural beautification, apart from wasting fortunes and displeasing God, many will still see you as the foulest among women or men👌
So pleasing God should be paramount.
c. The bridegroom must always verbally appreciate the beauty of the spouse and esteem inner beauty far above physical beauty.
d. In fact, the widom of God said that “beauty is vain but a woman that fears the Lord shall be praised”. How many are wise in this respect today? Have you observed many relationships built on physical beauty don’t last? Have you observed that while many may consider beauty in friendship, wise people consider inner beauty in marriage choices?
e. The issue of physical beauty becomes less important as soon as there is familiarity and what keeps an enduring relationship is actually inner beauty.
Question
What are the traits of inner beauty which makes relationships to be enduring? (Hint: Read I Timothy 2:9, I Peter 3:1-5).
PRAYER POINTS
1. Ask God for wisdom not to be deceived by physical beauty, either natural or artificial🙏
2. Ask for wisdom that will always exalt inner beauty above physical beauty in all decisions🙏
3. Pray for cleansing from all tendencies to be lusting after beauty🙏
4. Ask God that every one in the church will have the inner grace to value and appreciate inner beauty above all forms of outward beauty🙏
HYMN
HIS EYES IS ON THE SPARROWS
1. Why should I feel discouraged,
Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely,
And long for heav’n and home;
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant Friend is he;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me.
Refrain:
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free;
For his eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me.
2. “Let not your heart be troubled,”
His tender word I hear,
And resting on his goodness,
I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path he leadeth,
But one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me. Refrain
3. Whenever I am tempted,
Whenever clouds arise;
When songs give place to sighing,
When hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to him,
From care he sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me. Refrain
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
