You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you. – Song of Songs 4:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 18, 2016): Song of Songs 4

There is a secret to a long marriage. And that secret is not that we overlook the shortcomings of our spouse. It is that we honestly just don’t see them. In fact, in a long-term marriage, we often re-interpret the character flaws of the one that we love and begin to see them as a strength rather than as a weakness. He is not cheap; he is financially responsible. She is not a control-freak; she is organized. And with every flaw down the line, we begin to see it as a positive. The rest of the world thinks we are nuts. He is cheap, and she is a control-freak. But we just don’t see it. The one that we love is special and spotless.

Solomon looks at his bride, and he sees this kind of perfection. Oh, he knows she is not perfect, but perfection is still what he sees. The phrase “no flaw in you” or literally “no spot on you” in the Bible is usually one that is reserved for a sacrifice intended for God. This is the way that Solomon sees his bride. And no one can tell him that what he sees is wrong. She is the one for him, and he wants to shout his love to the world

We live in a world where we want to be perfect. We often make strides to appear so in public. We apply makeup or wear clothing that helps to hide our flaws. But the truth is that your God looks on you the same way that Solomon sees his Shulamite bride. It is not that you don’t have flaws. We all do. But with God, he sees us in the reflection of his perfect Son who is alive and active in the process of shaping us. And nothing else really matters to him.

This perfection is exactly what John describes in his great description of the church in Revelation. “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” When I look at the church now, that is not what I see. But it is what God sees in us. It is a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle. And the church is made so by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

So you are beautiful and perfect. There is no flaw in you, no matter what it is that you see when you look in the mirror. You have been washed in the sacrificial blood of Jesus and made perfect. The church is the bride of Christ, and he looks on her just as Solomon looked on his bride. And nothing could be more important than that.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Song of Songs 5