“You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
And there is no blemish in you,” (4:7).
Today was one of those mornings. I woke up feeling it; unworthy. Feeling that my life let Him down, that I should be doing more, better, or something. And I guess, we all have those days, when we assess our worth based on our own works. And when we use our own merit as a barometer, we never measure up.
But He has betrothed us to Himself that we would fix our eyes on Him and understand His faithfulness, righteousness, justice, lovingkindness and compassion.
“It will come about in that day,” declares the LORD,
“That you will call Me Ishi [Husband]
And will no longer call Me Baali [Master]…
19 I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice,
In lovingkindness and in compassion,
20 And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.
Then you will know the Lord,” (Hosea 2:16, 19-20).
And oh, His Gift of Gifts so beautifully depicted in the Love relationship between the betrothed and her Beloved Who sees not one blemish, not one, single imperfection, but only the immeasurable Value of His Bride.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless, (Ephesians 5:26-27).
When we belong to Him through faith, we are His betrothed, conferred with an inexpressible Value that is Validated by His immeasurable Love.
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends,” (John 15:13).
Value: the material or monetary worth of something
We are Valued by Him because of the price He paid for us, His priceless and precious blood.
knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ, (1 Peter 1:18-19).
And God so loved the world, that if we would but place our faith in His Son, He would Validate Our Value in this life and for all of eternity.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life,” (John 3:16).
Consider Him Who Validates Our Value
Validate:
to demonstrate or support the truth or value of
to make or declare legally valid
to express approval or agreement
to establish what something or someone is
to bring fulfillment or happiness to one’s life
to conduct a test, examination or analysis of
- He Validates Our Value, demonstrated in His death for us.
- But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, (Romans 5:8).
- He Validates Our Value, declaring us legally right with God.
- Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1 HCSB).
- He Validates Our Value, expressing His approval of us.
- Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, (Jude 1:24).
- He Validates Our Value, establishing who we are in Him.
- He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him, (2 Corinthians 5:21).
- He Validates Our Value, bringing fulfillment and joy to our life.
- These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full, (John 15:11).
- He Validates Our Value, proving our faith in every test.
- so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls, (1 Peter 1:7-9).
How do we respond to Him Who Validates Our Value?
The truth is there are days when we feel anything but Valued or Valuable. And in those days, we must look to His Word. The world places value on the temporal (remember Ecclesiastes.) Let it not be so with us.
Today, let’s choose to remember Who we belong to, and His immeasurable blessings He has so freely bestowed on us in Jesus Christ, the Beloved.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved, (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Oh, that we would cease from attempting to find approval from the opinions of others and even ourselves. It is true that we must never forget who we once were, but more importantly is to believe who He says we are now. Through the death of our Savior, He has reconciled us to Holy God in order to present us as holy and blameless and beyond all reproach. Let’s live like it! Let us ask Him to strengthen us that we would continue every day, steadfast in our faith and hope in Him Who Validates Our Value.
And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister, (Colossians 1:21-23).