MARCH 7, Esther 2: 1-4 

The search was on for a new queen. King Ahasuerus appointed officers over the whole empire, to gather potential candidates. The criteria were simple. The women had to be virgins who were young and beautiful. If a woman was picked, she had no choice but to be brought to the king’s palace in Shushan. The first year would be spent preparing themselves to look even more beautiful. After that, each woman had to present herself before the king, to let him choose his favourite as queen.

What does it mean to be beautiful? Many companies make lots of money by making people look beautiful. Whether it is selling make-up, fashionable clothes, or providing beauty services, companies know that people attach a high value to physical beauty. is is not much different from the criteria king Ahasuerus had for his new queen. He didn’t request for other qualities besides the outward appearance. Is this what it means to be beautiful?

Christians ought to view beauty differently from the world. The Bible tells us about the qualities of a beautiful woman in God’s sight. Let’s see what they are!

Match these godly qualities to the verses

While outward beauty can be bought with money, inner beauty is priceless. Outward beauty will eventually fade with age and time, but a person’s inner beauty grows even more as he or she walks close to the Lord. We shall soon read of how Esther had both outward and inner beauty.

The world shuns those who are not attractive and doesn’t care if they are kind or patient or helpful. How about you?

Thought: True beauty is in the heart and spirit, not in the flesh.

Prayer: Father in Heaven, I pray I’d not be as shallow as that king I read of but to treasure people who are beautiful inside, even if they are not attractive physically. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.