AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO TALK ABOUT, GOD KEPT POINTING ME BACK TO OUR PRINCESS THEME. I DECIDED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PRINCESS IN GOD'S KINGDOM. FIRST OF ALL, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU THINK OF A PRINCESS?
SOME THINGS THAT I THOUGHT OF WERE A BIG CASTLE, A FLUFFY BED, SERVANTS TO GET ME DRESSED, COOK FOR ME AND CLEAN MY ROOM, FANCY DRESSES AND JEWELRY GET THE PICTURE. PRETTY AMAZING RIGHT? IN ORDER TO FIND OUT ABOUT BEING A PRINCESS IN GOD’S KINGDOM WE NEED TO LOOK AT SCRIPTURE. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? WELL IF YOU TRY TO LOOK UP THE WORD PRINCESS IN THE BIBLE CONCORDANCE YOU AREN’T GOING TO FIND MUCH BUT JUST LOOK UP THE WORD KING AND YOU HAVE WELL OVER 50 REFERENCES ON THIS WORD. OH I KNOW YOU ARE PROBABLY SAYING I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT BEING A PRINCESS NOT A KING, WELL WE ARE BUT IN ORDER TO FIND OUT ABOUT BEING A PRINCESS WE MUST FIRST FIND OUT WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT OUR KING. O.K. SO WHO IS OUR KING? 1 SAM. 12:12 IT SAYS THAT THE JEWS WANTED A KING EVEN THOUGH THE LORD THEIR GOD WAS THEIR KING. SO WHO IS OUR KING ACCORDING TO THIS VERSE? (GOD). LISTEN AS I READ THE BEAUTIFUL PSALM 24 TO YOU.
“THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S AND THE FULLNESS THEREOF, THE WORLD AND THOSE WHO DWELL THEREIN, FOR HE HAS FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS & ESTABLISHED IT UPON THE RIVERS. WHO SHALL ASCEND THE HILL OF THE LORD? AND WHO SHALL STAND IN HIS HOLY PLACE? HE WHO HAS CLEAN HANDS AND A PURE HEART, WHO DOES NOT LIFT UP HIS SOUL TO WHAT IS FALSE AND DOES NOT SWEAR DECEITFULLY. HE WILL RECEIVE BLESSINGS FROM THE LORD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM THE GOD OF HIS SALVATION. SUCH IS THE GENERATION OF THOSE WHO SEEK HIM, WHO SEEK THE FACE OF THE GOD OF JACOB.
LIFT UP YOUR HEADS O GATES! AND BE LIFTED UP, O ANCIENT DOORS, THAT THE KING OF GLORY MAY COME IN. WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY? THE LORD STRONG AND MIGHTY, THE LORD MIGHTY IN BATTLE! LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, O GATES! AND LIFT THEM UP, O ANCIENT DOORS THAT THE KING OF GLORY MAY COME IN. WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY? THE LORD OF HOSTS, HE IS THE KING OF GLORY! AS WE LOOK AT THIS PASSAGE, WE CAN SEE THAT EVERYTHING BELONGS TO GOS EVEN US. WE ALSO SEE THAT HE IS HOLY AND THEREFORE WE MUST LIVE A HOLY LIFE. OUR GOD IS THE KING OF GLORY A MIGHTY KING THE LORD OF HOSTS, OUR KING. HE GIVES US THE STRENGTH TO LIVE A LIFE THAT IS GLORIFYING TO HIM AFTER ALL THAT IS OUR CHIEF END. AS A PRINCESS AND DAUGHTER OF THE KING YOU HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO HONOR AND OBEY YOUR KING. WE DO THAT BY PUTTING HIM FIRST IN OUR LIVES, ABOVE ALL OTHER THINGS. DUET.6:9 SAYS TO LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, ALL YOUR STRENGTH AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL. BEING A PRINCESS MUST BE A PART OF OUR WHOLE BEING. WE ARE REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR KING AND MUST DEMONSTRATE THE CHARACTER OF OUR KING IN OUR LIVES DAILY. I WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO DO THIS IN WHAT I CALL THE 3 A’S, APPEARANCE, ATTITUDE AND AFFIRMATION.
THE FIRST A IS APPEARANCE. WE ARE CREATED IN HIS IMAGE THEREFOR OUR APPEARANCE MUST DEMONSTRATE OUR KING. OUR SOURCE OF BEAUTY COMES FROM GOD; THEREFOR WE MUST DESIRE TO PLEASE HIM. 1PET. 3:3-4 SAYS, “YOUR BEAUTY SHOULD NOT COME FROM OUTWARD ADORNMENT, SUCH AS BRAIDED HAIR OR THE WEARING OF GOLD JEWELRY AND 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.” OH I KNOW WE ARE ALL DRESSED UP AND FANCY TODAY AND I AM NOT SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN’T TRY TO LOOK OUR BEST AFTER ALL REMEMBER WE ARE REPRESENTING OUR KING. WHAT I AM SAYING AND WHAT I BELIEVE SCRIPTURE IS SAYING IS THAT, THAT IS NOT WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL, TRUE BEAUTY COMES FROM WITHIN. PROV. 31:25 SAYS, “STRENGTH AND DIGNITY ARE HER CLOTHING, AND SHE LAUGHS AT THE TIME TO COME.
IN 1 TIM. 2:9-10 IT SAYS, “LIKEWISE ALSO THAT WOMEN SHOULD ADORN THEMSELVES IN RESPECTABLE APPAREL, WITH MODESTY AND SELF-CONTROL, NOT WITH BRAIDED HAIR AND GOLD OR PEARLS OR COSTLY ATTIRE, BUT WHAT IS PROPER FOR WOMEN WHO PROFESS GODLINESS---WITH GOOD WORKS.
THE WORLD WILL TELL OUR DAUGHTERS AND US TOO LADIES OTHERWISE. AFTER ALL THE WORLD IS FULL OF DECEIT AND LIES. SATAN IS THE FATHER OF LIES. WE NEED TO COUNTER THOSE LIES WITH THE TRUTH, BY TELLING EACH OTHER THAT WE ARE TO GLORIFY GOD IN OUR DRESS AND NOT WORRY ABOUT THE PASSING TRENDS. GAL. 1:10 SAYS, “AM I NOW TRYING TO WIN THE APPROVAL OF MEN OR OF GOD?...IF I WERE STILL TRYING TO PLEAS MEN I WOULD NOT BE A SERVANT OF CHRIST.” AND WHAT DID I SAY WAS OUR CHIEF END MS. PEGGY? EXACTLY AND THAT GOES FOR OUR DRESS AS WELL. ASK YOURSELF IS WHAT I AM WEARING GOING TO BE A DISTRACTION TO SOMEONE IN TRYING TO WORSHIP THE LORD AND REMAIN PURE IN HEART AND MIND? LADIES WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO TRY AND PROTECT OUR MEN AND BOYS IN GUARDING THEIR EYES FROM SINNING.
ANOTHER WAY TO PLEASE OUR KING IS BY OUR ATTITUDES. WE ARE CALLED TO HONOR AND OBEY HIS COMMANDS. ONE VERY IMPORTANT ONE I WANT TO FOCUS ON IS HONORING YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER. WHEN OTHERS LOOK AT YOU, HOW DO THEY SEE YOU BEHAVING TOWARDS YOUR PARENTS WELL ALL AUTHORITY FOR THAT MATTER? DO THEY SEE YOU HONORING THEM BY OBEYING THEM, RESPECTING THEM, LOVING AND VALUING THEM, OR DO THEY SEE A MORE REBELLIOUS ATTITUDE, DISOBEDIENT AND DISRESPECTFUL? WHEN YOU ARE ASKED TO DO SOMETHING FOR THEM DO YOU STOMP YOUR FOOT, ROLL YOUR EYES AND SAY FINE, IF I HAVE TO? ONE VERY TRUE REALITY IS; THE WAY WE TREAT OUR PARENTS IS USUALLY THE WAY WE ARE TREATING GOD. OTHERS SEE THIS AND WE THEN ARE NOT A GOOD REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR KING. IF WE ARE DISRESPECTFUL AND REBELLIOUS HOW CAN WE EVER BE JOYFUL. WE ARE TO JOYFULLY SERVE HIM.
BE CAREFUL THAT YOUR ACTIONS REFLECT YOUR HEART. COL. 3:23 SAYS, “WHATEVER YOU DO WORK HEARTILY FOR THE LORD AND NOT FOR MEN. IF CHRIST FILLS YOUR HEART THEN CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER QUALITIES WILL BE DEMONSTRATED, BUT IF SELFISHNESS FILLS YOUR HEART THEN WHAT WILL PEOPLE SEE? SELFISHNESS!!
THE LAST THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS AFFIRMATION. EVERYONE LOVES AND NEEDS ENCOURAGEMENT ESPECIALLY FROM THEIR KING. PS. 139:13-16 SAYS, “FOR YOU FORMED MY INWARD PARTS; YOU KNITTED ME TOGETHER IN MY MOTHER’S WOMB. I PRAISE YOU FOR I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE. WONDERFUL ARE YOUR WORKS; MY SOUL KNOWS IT VERY WELL. MY FRAME WAS NOT HIDDEN FROM YOU, WHEN I WAS BEING MADE IN SECRET, INTRICATELY WOVEN IN THE DEPTHS OF THE EARTH. YOUR EYES SAW MY UNFORMED SUBSTANCE; IN YOUR BOOK WERE WRITTEN, EVERY ONE OF THEM, THE DAYS THAT WERE FORMED FOR ME, WHEN AS YET THERE WAS NONE OF THEM.” WONDERFUL ARE HIS WORKS WONDERFUL ARE YOU. GOD CALLS US PRINCESSES WELL ROYAL AT LEAST. 1PET. 2:9 SAYS, “THAT WE ARE A CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR HIS OWN POSSESSION THAT WE MAY PROCLAIM THE EXCELLENCIES OF HIM WHO CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT.” WE BELONG TO HIM BELOVED, HE IS OUR KING AND WE ARE DAUGHTERS OF THE KING THEREFORE WE ARE TRULY PRINCESSES. HE AFFIRMS THIS DAILY BY HIS MANY GIFTS AND BLESSINGS HE BESTOWS UPON US. REMEMBER SISTERS THAT OUR BEAUTY IS NOT DETERMINED BY THE WORLD AND WHAT THE WORLD SAYS BUT BY GOD. HOW DOES GOD SEE US? HE CAREFULLY AND PRECISELY CREATED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US JUST THE WAY WE ARE. AND EVERYTHING HE MADE WAS GOOD. WE ARE EACH UNIQUELY DIFFERENT AND SPECIAL WITH DIFFERENT TALENTS TO BE USED BY GOD. THIS IS WHAT IS SO BEAUTIFUL ABOUT US. HE MADE US ALL SPECIAL FOR A PURPOSE ONLY WE COULD COMPLETE. IS.64:8 SAYS,” BUT NOW, O LORD, YOU ARE OUR FATHER; WE ARE THE CLAY, AND YOU ARE THE POTTER; WE ARE ALL THE WORK OF YOUR HAND.”
AS DAUGHTERS OF THE KING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FEATURE ABOUT US THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON IS OUR HEART. THE THREE A’S ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT THE END ALL WILL HELP TO REMIND YOU REMEMBER THEM, APPEARANCE, ATTITUDE AND AFFIRMATION.
PRAYER: LET’S PRAY! DEAR LORD THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR KING. THANK YOU THAT AS YOUR DAUGHTERS, WE ARE PRINCESSES AND WE ARE SPECIAL TO YOU. HELP US TO LIVE OUR LIVES IN A WAY THAT IS GLORIFYING TO YOU. WHEN OTHERS SEE US WE WANT THEM TO SEE OUR KING IN US. WE WANT TO HONOR YOU AND LOVE YOU AND KEEP YOUR COMMANDS. HELP US TO DO THAT WITH OUR APPEARANCE AND ATTITUDES AND BE AFFIRMED THAT WE ARE YOUR PRINCESSES AND CHOSEN BY YOU. THANK YOU FOR LOVING US JUST THE WAY WE ARE AND FOR MAKING US JUST THE WAY WE ARE. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY AMEN!
