There was once a woman who lived in the Kingdom of God. She was known as ‘Sleeping Beauty’.
Why was she known as Sleeping Beauty?
Because she’d allowed the beauty of her salvation to become dormant. Almost comatose from discouragement, Sleeping Beauty had taken to her bed. It had become her comfort zone.
Why? How?
Well, it all started when Satan, the evil serpent, slithered into her consciousness and whispered his lies. She believed them. In fact, she regularly embraced them and before long, Sleeping Beauty had given birth to the twin monsters of Despair and Depression.
As she lay listless upon her bed of negativity, she did not hear the lark singing about her possibilities. She was deaf to the robin who chirped cheerily of her potential. She was quite oblivious to the pigeon that cooed daily outside her window, cooing with excitement about her God-given destiny.
Now, when the King of Salem from the Kingdom of Peace heard about this, he travelled swiftly upon his white steed to the Palace of God’s Promises and asked to see her. The difficulty lay in the fact that the princess (for indeed Sleeping Beauty was of royal descent), quite literally couldn’t see him, since her eyes had become clouded by the cataracts of self-disdain and unbelief.
Determined however, to save Sleeping Beauty, the king spoke directly to her spirit, commanding the princess to awaken out of her stupor and arise from her self-willed slumber.
At first, Sleeping Beauty did not respond. Satan, the serpent, to whom she’d habitually given leeway, sought to counteract the King’s command and override the encouraging and loving tone of his voice, with subliminal suggestions.
Satan deftly reminded Sleeping Beauty of what had brought her to this state in the first place. He played and replayed the negative scenarios of her emotional history on the record player of her heart. He called upon his cohorts to help and so, the strident voices of Doom and Gloom stepped up to the plate, clanging their cymbals and banging their drums, in a bid to drown out the quiet, soothing voice of the King of Salem.
Oh, what a tremendous battle ensued!
This memory, and that memory, stepped out onto the stage of Sleeping Beauty’s consciousness and spoke their well-rehearsed lines.
Do you remember when so-and-so betrayed you?
Have you forgotten about how so-and-so insulted you?
Surely you are not going to forgive that spiteful so-and-so, who systematically sought to strip you of your self-esteem!
Hey! Turning the other cheek just does not work. Forgiving the unforgivable is a sign of weakness!
Come on. Open wide, and swallow this pill of bitterness – don’t you feel better now?
Sleeping Beauty tossed and turned and fell into an unusually deep sleep. As she dreamed, she saw herself covered in vile rags. A prince, whose face shone bright as the sun, began to sing over her. The sound of his voice was like cool, soothing ointment. Whilst previously she’d not heard the lark, or robin, or pigeon, now she could quite clearly hear the wonderful voice of her prince and saviour.
You are my beloved and I am yours. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Submit yourself to me and the evil serpent’s spell over you will be broken. Arise my beautiful one and step into the destiny I have planned for you.
As the King sang, the vile rags fell away and, in its place, Sleeping Beauty saw a beautifully embroidered scarlet robe. As she looked and looked, the robe became a glittering coat of armour. Strength flowed into her being. Her eyes, once shrouded by disdain and unbelief, began to clear. With new perception they now pierced the darkness of deception that had wound insidious threads around her soul, holding her captive. She now saw the serpent for the despotic, diabolical being that he was. Alarmed, the princess cried out. Help me Jesus!
Sleeping Beauty awoke from her strange dream, a new woman. On her bed was a letter from the King. Read my words, it said: lay them up within your heart. They have the power to rejuvenate and heal you.
So, Sleeping Beauty arose that day with the wholesome words of the King’s song in her heart. The notes of positivity and the sweet melody of forgiveness worked its miraculous magic, and she was healed! How Sleeping Beauty rejoiced. She was now free to pursue her God-ordained destiny.
© Carol Hind
Self Scrutiny:
Awake, awake!
Put on your strength, [O beautiful One]
Put on your beautiful garments…
Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion!
(Isaiah 52:1-2 (adapted)
Can you relate to Sleeping Beauty? If so, will you allow the magic of God’s Word to heal your own heart?
With love and best wishes,
Carol
Not Perfect but Passionate!
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