Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

A Series on the Beatitudes
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Matthew 5:8; James 1:22-25; Psalm 24:3-4

 [In this series, we will be looking at the Beatitudes from the perspective that Jesus came to establish his kingdom. In order to do that, he needed to set new expectations; to let his followers know that his was a spiritual kingdom, not a political one. To teach them what it means to bring in his kingdom; what it means to turn the world upside down.] 

⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.      NIV

 

 

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” These are the words of the Evil Queen in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. This story may be a fairy tale, but there’s a lot of truth in it.

 

For instance, when the Evil Queen looked into the mirror, she didn’t really want the truth, just affirmation. And when she was told the truth, she sent her Huntsman off to find Snow White to kill her. No, the Evil Queen didn’t want to know the truth about the ugliness of who she really was on the inside.

 

Like the Evil Queen, our human nature leads us to deflect, rationalize and justify our flaws that are ugly. We prefer to point our finger at someone else rather than to look at our own shortcomings. James gives us some insight into how to avoid this.

 

²³ For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. ²⁴ You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. ²⁵ But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. NLT

 

If we look carefully… do what it says… and don’t forget… then God will bless us. The Beatitude for this week affirms James’ words.

 

⁸ “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.     MSG

 

If we get our inside world right, then we will see God, or at least see Him at work. Listen to what David wrote about climbing the mountain of the Lord. He confirms that like Moses on Mount Sinai, Elijah on Mount Carmel and Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, we too can see God and His work.

 

³ Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
⁴ Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,
    who do not worship idols and never tell lies. NLT

 

Do you want to “climb the mountain of the Lord”? Do you want to see Jesus? Then let him change you from the inside out. Let him make you pure.

 

Then when you look into the word of God, which is our mirror, you will see the truth. Not only the truth about yourself, but the truth of what Jesus has done for you. And the truth will set you free.

 

Copyright 2021 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

To the Unknown God Within You

Exodus 20:2-4

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2020%3A2-4&version=NIV;NASB

 

 

²² So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. ²³ For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Acts 17:22-23 NASB

 

Talk about hedging your bets. Just in case they didn’t have all the bases covered, the men of Athens had a place to worship the Unknown God. No doubt, that made them feel safer; more secure. And feeling secure is a big deal.

 

In America, normally you don’t find an idol or an object of worship set up in the house. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have them; they’re just more subtle.

 

The best way to self-evaluate is to take a look at your time, talent and treasure. Then ask yourself, how do you use them? Look at your calendar or checkbook or online banking account. How are you spending your time and your money? How do you use your talents?

 

John D. Rockefeller, was at one point the world’s richest man and first ever American billionaire.  Considering he was a billionaire in the early 1900’s he is still considered as the richest person in modern history.  When a reporter asked him, “How much money is enough?” He responded, “Just a little bit more.”

 

Whether it’s about money or something else, don’t we all feel that way at one time or another? But we are created for something more; something better; something bigger. Here is what Paul wrote to follow up his words about the Unknown God.

 

This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about. ²⁴ “He is the God who made the world and everything in it... ²⁷ “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.  Acts 17:23-27 NLT

 

What is it that you want “just a little bit more” of? God wants the best there is for you. Should you settle for less?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Here's another thought on the same passage.)

 

The Promised Land

Exodus 20:2-4

 

² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.          NASB

 

The land of Egypt was not only a house of slavery! It was a den of darkness; of depression; of desperation. It was a land of hopelessness and powerlessness. It was a land of futility without a future, where it was a struggle to see God at work.

 

You may have experienced a time in your own life when you felt like you were in the “land of Egypt”. I know I have. In college, my girlfriend unceremoniously dumped me for another guy. As a young married, our first born was still born. And later in life, as a middle aged man, I struggled with the depression.

 

God brought me through each of these times through the support and faith of people who became significant in my life. They were people who believed in me; saw something more going on than the circumstances around me; encouraged me to look to God, to His word, to His love and to His presence in my life.

 

³ “You shall have no other gods before Me. ⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. NASB

 

God spoke these words to the nation of Israel after delivering them from the “house of slavery” of Egypt. He spoke these words as He prepared to take them from slavery into the Promised Land. And what are the first words out of His mouth? “You shall have no other gods before Me” or “make an idol”. And what is the first thing Israel does? They make the golden calf.

 

Think about that for a second. The Lord had already miraculously delivered them from Egypt. He was promising to take them to a “land of milk and honey”. Yet Israel turns to other gods. Are we any different? I think not.

 

The Lord spoke the words above to Israel, but also to us. Therefore, it is critical for us to

be vigilant; to be alert; to ask ourselves the tough questions. Are we slipping? Are we looking to other people, things or ourselves to find the Promised Land?

 

Listen closely for the answers; change what needs changing; and find the Lord your God.

 

(If God has spoken to you through this blog, please feel free to share the link with others.)

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