Daughters of the King

A few of the men made this for the women in my church this Friday:

Daughters of the King,

(written by Landon Lewis)
For lack of a better word I’ll declare
You blind as you look with unconcerned eyes
At your capturers but are unaware
That they already have you baited and tied.
With images of what is “beautiful”
They have brainwashed you to make you accept
That you are not physically wonderful
Because your look goes against their concept.
But dear lady I ask that you focus
Your eyes on your mirror but first your heart
To see the beauty you have failed to notice
And the outer beauty you had from the start.
If you look and are not able to see,
Open your ears and my words will set you free.

I listened as a man told a story on the radio about himself and his wife on their honeymoon. His wife had just gotten out of the shower in the morning and as she looked at herself in the mirror she began pointing out parts of her that were unattractive. Her husband walked up to her and placed his arms around her and faced her towards himself. He told her that she was insulting his wife; he would not have that. Then he gently said, “Look into my eyes.” She looked into his eyes. It was obvious in his eyes that there was no woman more beautiful. As she looked at him he said, “Let my eyes be your mirror.” . . . He would go on to tell her that throughout their marriage.

After hearing this story, I could hear Christ saying, “Look into my eyes, Let my eyes be your mirror.” I thought about this and I questioned whether or not I wanted this. I don’t want to just be told that I am loved. I want to face my sin. I want to have victory over it. I want a love that is real, not frivolous. Then I thought about Jesus’ gaze, the gaze that penetrates the deepest parts of the heart, leaving nothing unsearched. How it is stern and loving. There is no weakness to His love. He doesn’t lightly say, “I love you.” I realized that when Jesus says, “Look into my eyes”, His gaze not only searches the inmost being, but it also purifies the deepest sin.

There she stood clothed, yet naked
Before Him who looked into her
heart.
Fire and judgment stirred relentlessly
And searched . . .

She looked into His eyes and saw
severity
He did not penetrate her heart purposelessly
But was determined

She could no longer stand and fell . . .

His arms wrapped around her and
He held her close
“My child, my child, come close”

She looked into His eyes once again
And was consumed by His love.
And, and . . .
Amazed by the beauty He saw.
And yet His gaze had not changed.

As we look into His eyes, we see such great love, as He holds us in His arms and tells us that we are lovely. How could this be? A gaze so piercing and yet it contains such an enravished and gentle love, one drop being more than all the poems could contain. One drop bringing healing to our hurting heart. Such a love that makes you forget about yourself and abandon all as you are enraptured in romance of the Beloved. Now, all that matters is being with Him. Romance is at the heart of sanctification and holiness.

So let us, look into His eyes and let Him be our mirror. “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” This is not a gaze into our idea or concept of who Jesus is. But it is the gaze of a broken and contrite heart that trembles at God’s word and allows His truth to run wild and rule as a lion, without compromise. It is a humble walk before our Creator and Lord. It is a gaze that lets Christ be who He is and a gaze that allows us to be who He is creating us to be. It is the gaze that takes our breath away.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His Marvelous light . . .” 1 Peter 2:9

(written by Landon Lewis)
Who are the sheep O’ Christ that you’d take their place
And be pierced through by your Father’s own hand
When it was they who deserved the disgrace
Because it was they who sinned through the first man?
Do you love them that much? Are you that attached?
Just because they were given didn’t mean
You had to save. The door you could have unlatched.
The darkness you could have left to be seen.
But no, you had to open their blind eyes
And take the corks out of their deafened ears
Then draw them through the door where salvation lies
And where your glory is sure to appear.
You did everything to save your own.

Daughters of the Father and beloved by the Most High, your beauty, both inner and physical, are wrapped around this, beholding Jesus. As your brothers and men, we want you to see and believe this beauty in you. The beauty that does not look at the worldly standards, which fall so short of what physical beauty is, but a physical and inner beauty so great that it defies imagination and is stunningly captivating. A beauty that is fit for the Kingdom and captures the heart of our King and your brothers.

In Him with love,

Your Brothers