Singing the Scriptures
For her daily devotions, Julie began singing the Scriptures. “As I sang, my heart and mind actually began to do and believe what I was singing about!” Through vocalizing God’s Word in song, Julie wanted His truth to shed light on the things she disliked about herself, such as her voice and her height.
She said, “I began to sing from Song of Solomon 1:5: ‘Dark I am, yet lovely.’ ” (In that agrarian culture, a woman tanned by the sun wasn’t seen as beautiful.) As Julie sang the Scripture passage, God changed her thoughts. Suddenly she understood: “God loves me even though I am not perfect.”
Julie sang from a beautiful poem found in the Old Testament’s Wisdom Literature. Some people interpret the Song of Songs as an allegory of God’s love for His people, but many view it as a celebration of marital love. In witnessing the beauty of the couple’s commitment to each other, we can echo the friends’ words: “We rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine” (v. 4).
However we interpret these ancient words, we can affirm with Julie that God revels in His chosen people. As He says elsewhere in the Old Testament: “You are precious and honored in my sight, and . . . I love you” (Isaiah 43:4).
By Amy Boucher Pye - Our Daily Bread Ministries
Song of Songs 1:1-6
1Solomon’s Song of Songs.
She
2Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love is more delightful than wine.
3Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the young women love you!
4Take me away with you—let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.
Friends
We rejoice and delight in you;
we will praise your love more than wine.
She
How right they are to adore you!
5Dark am I, yet lovely,
daughters of Jerusalem,
dark like the tents of Kedar,
like the tent curtains of Solomon.
6Do not stare at me because I am dark,
because I am darkened by the sun.
My mother’s sons were angry with me
and made me take care of the vineyards;
my own vineyard I had to neglect.
