Brideful Beauty - Esther 2:17 (KJV)

Scripture of the Day
Esther 2:17 (KJV)
“Brideful Beauty”

And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
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I once heard it said that there is never an ugly bride!  There may be ugly fiancés or ugly wives . . . but never an ugly bride!  I began to think about that, and realized that I have never seen an ugly bride (in person or TV).  On the very day of a wedding, and she is wearing the beautiful dress, perfect hair, flawless smile and everything else that makes the moment special . . . the woman is very beautiful.  It goes deeper than beauty, because that woman is set as the queen.  She comes down the aisle will all eyes on her.  There is favour on her.  For that very moment, she is the fairest in all the land!  No matter what kind of woman (race, nationality, religion), she is a beautiful bride!

Esther had a deep and rich beauty.  When the king held out his golden sceptre to show favour over Esther as she approached him unannounced (which was against the law even for the queen), it was not because she was so pleasing to the eye!  Queen Vashti was pleasing to the eye, yet she was dismissed for not coming before the king when announced.  So if it was only skin-top (pleasing to the eye) beauty that interested the king . . . he would have still been with Vashti.  But Esther came before the king as a bride . . . a queen, and humble!  It was deeper than beauty.  1 Peter 3:3-4 says that your beauty should not come from the outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in GOD’s sight.  If you read the entire book of Esther, you will see that the queen was not demanding or arrogant in her outward beauty . . . but she had the inward beauty of a bride, even after the wedding was over!  Men, treat your wives like the brides you married!  Women, walk in the beauty of a bride even after the wedding is over!  Christians, let us be ready!  JESUS is coming back for HIS bride . . . will we be the first ugly one, or will HE find us in our white robe washed by the blood?  Will we be in perfect standing according to HIS Word?  Will we be the bride HE deserves?

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