A Devotional Thought from Song of Solomon 4:1
Song of Solomon 4:1Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair;
Thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks:
Thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.
Wouldn’t you think a guy that loves words would be better at putting them to use?
Wrong, with this word lover that is not the case. I can even mess up a very well-intended compliment!
I suppose my problem comes from a vivid imagination with detailed pictures in my mind that I forget others can’t see.
Let me give you an example.
I had a boyhood infatuation, I thought she was the prettiest girl in the school. She was much shorter than me and had the cutest little nose but what made her most unique wasn’t her physical beauty but the sassy spirit within her.
Surely, there was a way to say that, to express my feelings for her, right?
Nope, not for this nerd!
Here is where things went wrong.
Whenever I saw her, I was reminded of an adorable character that I had seen in a cartoon, a cute girl mouse.
The tiny toon mouse was small just like my crush, had a cute nose like her and especially she had a good, strong, sweet spirit.
I ran out and bought this girl what I thought was the most fitting gift, a cute plush mouse, and then presented it with these words, “this reminded me of you!”
The presentation didn’t go as planned.
I now know that pretty ladies don’t appreciate being compared to rodents. Who knew?
Oh well, I guess you live and learn.
If only she could have understood what I meant by those words, how adorable I found the cartoon character, and how her attitude drove my comparison more than her appearance, perhaps then she would have appreciated my attempt.
I read the compliments of Solomon in his song with western eyes and think this guy is a lot like me.
I am afraid that most ladies I know wouldn’t swoon at his lines.
“You have goat’s hair”
That line ain’t winning you any points with the modern females, Which might be why they don’t use the phrase in any shampoo or conditioner ads.
“You have dove eyes”
Here is another compliment that might possibly miss the mark. Every dove that I have seen has eyes that lack the diverse beauty and expression found in a beautiful women’s eyes.
What if we read this compliment from the lover of this song from his perspective?
I believe if we look at what he meant, then we won’t miss the blessing. What if his compliment concerning her eyes was not just the cliché’ “you have pretty eyes” line that most men give?
The first dove we discover in God’s Word was the one on Noah’s ark, her eyes were emphasized but not for their appearance.
After the rains had ceased, Noah sent two birds to gauge the condition of their surroundings, a raven and a dove. The raven never returned because he was looking for something dead on which to feed but the dove was looking for something better, life. The diet of the dove pushed her to find plants and to look past the death and decomposition floating on the waters around her.
Could the compliment of Solomon be that his love, like the dove, looks for life?
Is it possible that his lady always tries to find the good in people and her situations?
I have come to understand that a loving positive attitude is far more attractive than colorful eyes or an expressive smile.
Many a man has been won over with a wink from a beautiful eye that hides a hate-filled heart.
I would encourage us all to have dove eyes and to labor for a beauty that exudes from within, to look for the good and turn away from the bad.
I am thankful today that because of what my Savior has done in me and for me that God now sees me through dove’s eyes. He doesn’t see my sins and all my past failures, he sees what he will make me, not what I was or even what I am.
What about you?
Do you have Dove's eyes? Do you look for the good or hunt pessimistically for the bad?
Most importantly are your sins covered by the blood of the lamb so that God can see you with Dove's eyes?
Readings for 12/21/20
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