Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube of images and lyrics from the group Mercy Me singing their song … Word of God Speak … poignantly singing about God’s mirror of truth, the Bible, which reveals our Lord to us as well as the reality our lives.
=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Luke 1:46-48 [NLT] … 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free [i.e., God’s word], and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
… Following God’s word is our mirror of truth.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: James 1:16-27 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru James, reveals the importance of viewing our lives in the mirror of His word.
=============
Reference Passage : … Psalm 119:15-18, 105 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Psalmist reflects his passion (and mine!) to live by and follow God’s word.
Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 [NLT] … 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into his glorious image.
… The reality of our relationship with Christ is revealed to us thru His word so that we can become more like Him.
Reference Passage : … 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 [NKJV] … 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
… Slightly different wording … BUT … same meaning from another translation of this passage.
Reference Passage : … John 14:21 [NLT] … 21 Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them.”
… In Jesus’ own words to His disciples, telling them (us) that He will only be revealed in those who accept and obey His commandments (i.e., His word).
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lawrence Darmani, uses a word picture of a mirror to illustrate how God’s word allows us to see ourselves now as we seek to become more like Jesus. The ODB author writes … When I emerged from my hotel in Kampala, Uganda, my hostess, who had come to pick me up for our seminar, looked at me with an amused grin. “What’s so funny?” I inquired. She laughed and asked, “Did you comb your hair?” It was my turn to laugh, for I had indeed forgotten to comb my hair. I’d looked at my reflection in the hotel mirror. How come I took no notice of what I saw?
In a practical analogy, James gives us a useful dimension to make our study of Scripture more beneficial. We look in the mirror to examine ourselves to see if anything needs correction—hair combed, face washed, shirt properly buttoned. Like a mirror, the Bible helps us to examine our character, attitude, thoughts, and behavior (see highlight passage). This enables us to align our lives according to the principles of what God has revealed. [see photo]
Really, … I don’t need to add anything here to get the message of this ODB author across, do I? And surely the words from God Himself in the Scriptures above, speak to what the group Mercy Me sings in the linked song?
And, in reality, the attached photo reveals why I am here daily, looking as deeply as I can into God’s truth, … i.e., His word, … so that I can become more like my Lord. And I think we all need to ask ourselves whether we’re looking into God’s word deeply enough and following the path laid out in it, … making it our mirror of truth and our “GPS” for life (God’s Positioning System).
=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for giving me (us) Your Mirror of Truth.
=============
My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here are using Your Word as our mirror of truth to allow us to become more like You day by day. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
No comments:
Post a Comment