Merciful God, things surely seem overwhelming when one looks into the Mirror of Self.
Galatians 6:4-instructs each of us to examine our own works. (6:3) If we think ourselves to be something when we are nothing we deceive ourselves.
Mirror of Self means judge myself.
I must use the teachings of Jesus and His life as my standard for results. The mirror of self doesn’t lie. So pride must be within my heart. My heart must have a treasure box for my secrets that can only be revealed by my Mirror of Self.
The book of James says one may look in the mirror of self and see but walk away from the mirror and forget what they saw. For if I only hear or see but not do, I have deceived myself.
Merciful Father, may Your Light, the Light of Jesus burn so bright in our hearts that we may pray and sing with the Psalmist, (Psalm 139:23-23 (NKJV)Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Father God, when we allow the search by you, we give you permission to search our heart and reveal a lovely Diamond hidden in a rock.
(Psalm 51:5-12 KJV)
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
May you show Your face of mercy to each of us today as we look into the Mirror of Self.
In Your Holy Name, I pray,
thedailylily.com 
Paul says in 1Corinthians that,”we see through a glass, darkly”…and James says (as Sara quoted) that we look and we forget what we saw. Some of us look and our eyes are blinded, either because we can’t face the truth or because we REFUSE to admit what is truly reflected in that “mirror”. But Paul says that someday we WILL see Him Face to Face and we will know Him as He is. And He will know us as we are. And we are to BE LIKE HIM. That is God’s perfect will for us….to be like Jesus. For our hearts to be like HIS. And HE CAN MAKE A PERFECT HEART! Oh, Lord, I want that perfect heart.
MG
What is the prophet Ezekiel saying “”…take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh.”
When I study the word on heart I am overcome many times with all The Word has to say about the heart. With Valentine’s Day just days away Heart becomes a big issue on our greeting cards and words of expression. I thought it a good time to review and reveal our Hearts.
I am reminded of that scripture, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart in church the other Sunday that we build our chains (of bondage) with our own words of our mouths. Maybe, besides looking in the mirror at self, I had better look at what’s coming out of my mouth. Am I speaking a good report or am I whining and complaining about the latest injustice? Am I getting my satisfaction out of a laundry listing of what I perceive as unfair deeds done to me or do I find solace and comfort in taking my cause to the Lord and listening for wise counsel from HIM? Hmmmm.! I guess looking in the mirror of self can be quite shocking especially if you include the MOUTH!!
So now I have a choice to make.
mouth and eyes two of the main things when we look into the “mirror of self”.
O’ this reminds me of the Monkeys, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
Thanks for the response that might just help us all to see, hear and speak our conduct and deeds alright.
Would one of the standards be a more loving husband and/or wife? Valentine’s day is here you all know!
You remembered! A real treasure you are! Now don’t forget the treasure box with the Diamond. Godiva chocolate is as good as a diamond for me!
Beautiful cards help a lot with an unforgiving or forgiving heart!
One of the abvove scriptures you speak of in Galatians where we are told to examine our works helps me relate myself to an apple tree. As owner of the orchard it’s my job to go inspect the tree throughout the season to see how the fruit is coming along. I would look at the quality and quantitity. As you say above about the mirror not lying, neither does the tree. Quality and quantity can be clearly measured. If the quantity is poor and the quantity lower than should be expected there may be visible or invisible (to the naked eye) reasons (disease, insects, nutrient deficiencies, environmental factors). Then the search begins for the reasons and the method of correcting it. Walking away from the tree and ‘wishing’ the fruit will be better and more plentiful won’t change anything. It takes doing something practical about it. Your scriptures and steps from Psalm 51 above are steps I can take right away. Thanks.
Debi, I surely understand the fruit tree since I will be able to eat the fruit when the fruit farmer has produced good fruit and delivered it to my favorite store.
Now, how will I know when people trees have good fruit? Psalmist says to God “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
Great prayer, but when will others be able to participate in the good fruit if it is people and not apple tree.
I will try to answer your questions to the best I know.
Galatians 5:22 says that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. If you see these character traits in a person than the way I understand it you see fruit. These fruits develop through abiding in Christ and obedience to Him and God’s word. Others participate in this good fruit when there is a person in action living out these traits. For example the вЂ?dissing’ you spoke of in your article would be diseased fruit of the lips that others are affected by.
Your teachings and studies over the years on fruit and related subjects have helped me to understand enough to know that it is something tangible, real and measurable in a person’s life and something that can be produced. But you have to want it and �embrace it with your whole being’ as you once told me. I say with Paul as you write in your article �Set My Sprit Free’: “I’m not saying I have this altogether, that I have made it…” I believe I will be judged on the quality and quantity of my fruit at the Judgement Seat and that good fruit can only grow out of a clean heart with pure and right motives and all this process takes some work.
After reading this as part of my morning devotional…it really got me to thinking…I am truely thankful that Gods mercies are new every morning…because I know every morning I need mercy and its wonderful to know He has it and its new ……sometimes in that mirror things pop up and out and it takes a new kind of mercy , grace and a whole lot of His love to admit it face it and change it…and You Sara taught me that…admit,face,change…..then the light shines through…dj
Dorothy, are you able to give us an example where this has worked in your life? How did the light look when it starting shining through. I know you are an artist and very capable of giving a picture view of admit, face, change.
The light that came shining through had the briliance of dog paintings, wall murals, crocheted hats,scarfs and doilies, and jewerly making…it had the bold brightness of driving and going places, and doing things I have not done before..I had to admit I was fearful,,face the fact that it was in me and that if I didnt let it go and except the help that the Lord was giving me in the place that He had placed me that I would literally die…so I recieved that help and physically (yes with some resistance on my part because old habits especially when dealing with fear are like concrete and super glue)got up picked up the crochet hook and yarn and watched as my fingers created beautiful white snowflake doilies straight from a heart set free…and I watched as out of a soul free from years of being in darkness,and bound to great fear, beautiful paintings of dogs came forth that mininstered to others….and like an eagle soaring on renewed wings Im behind a wheel driving myself and others to places I only dreamed of going…..You asked where has this worked in my life…In every area…and How the light Looked….It looks really beautiful…to me, because I know its not me that does these things Its Christ In me My hope of Glory….The Hope of Glory….. With His mercy, grace, and love, I am changed…..love dj
Create in me a clean heart… Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me has been verses I’ve clung to for some time. I can’t even imagine what the world would be like without the holy spirit as the world news opens each night with murders, theft, disasters, etc. This of course is looking outward. Looking in we may find lots to cleanse. This reminds me of a story I wrote, entitled “Under the Hand of Jesus”. In the story a child had lots of arrows in his heart due to life experiences which had adversely affected him. All the support personnel could not seem to help him. Things went from bad to worse in his life until he was introduced to Doctor Jesus. Doctor Jesus took those arrows away and the boy was able to live the abundant life. What great news for us, because if he does that for the boy in the story, he can do that for you too.
AS YOU ALL KNOW GOD CREATED US IN THE IMAGE OF HIMSELF. SO AS WE LOOK INTO THE MIRROR WE SEE THE IMAGE OF HIM. MY MOTHER TOLD ME THAT YOU SHOULD LOOK INTO THE MIRROR EVERYDAY AND SAY “I LOVE YOU”, “YOU MEAN SOMETHING TO ME”, AND “THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF SEEING YOU”. AS YOU SAY THESE THINGS YOU ARE ALSO SAYING THEM TO GOD. SOME OF US LOOK INTO THE MIRROR AND WE DONT LIKE OUR HAIR COLOR, EYE COLOR, OR THE WAY OUR NOSES LOOK. HOWEVER IF WE KEEP IN MIND THAT WE WERE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD LOOKING INTO THAT MIRROR WILL BECOME A BLESSING.
I love Genesis 1:26-28 “God created man in His own image; in the image of
God He created him, male and female, He created them.
Also Psalm 139:13-16 How God formed us in our Mother’s womb and made our inward parts and He knew all about us. God made us as individual physical beings.
You are so right Jersey (your Mom was so right also) that we should look in the mirror with a different view. Valentine’s day would be a good day to start telling ourselves how much we love the view we see!!!!!
Love others as yourself would be hard if we didn’t love ourselves, don’t you think?