Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

February 18
Wednesday


MIRROR, MIRROR

READ:
James 1:19-27
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He who...is not a
forgetful hearer but a
doer of the work, this
one will be blessed in
what he does.
__James 1:25
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How often do you see your reflection in a mirror? Some studies say that the average person looks in a mirror 8 to 10 times a day. Other surveys say it could be as many as 60 to 70 times a day, if glancing at our reflection in store windows and smart phone screens is included.

Why do we look so often? Most experts agree that it's to check our appearance, especially before meetings of or social gatherings. If something is amiss, we want to fix it. Why look if we don't plan to change what's wrong?

The apostle James said that reading or hearing God's Word without acting on it is like looking in a mirror and forgetting what we've seen (1:22-24). But the better alternative is to look closely and act on what we see. James said, "He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does" (v.25).

If we hear God's Word without taking action, we fool only ourselves (v.22). But when we examine ourselves in light of God's Word and obey His instructions, God liberates us from all that keeps us from looking more and more like Him each day. __David McCasland

``````````````Thank You, Lord, for the Bible, Your Word to us.````````````````
```````````````````Give us wisdom and guidance as we`````````````````````
````````````````read its pages. Make us sensitive to Your```````````````````
````````````````````voice and give us hearts to obey.``````````````````````
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The Bible is a mirror that lets us
see ourselves as God sees us.

*********************Today's Bible Reading __ James 1:19-27*********************

19 So then, my beloved
brethren, let every man be
swift to hear, slow to speak,
slow to wrath; 20 for the
wrath of man does not
produce the righteousness
of God.

21 Therefore lay aside all
filthiness and overflow of
wickedness, and receive
with meekness the
implanted word, which is
able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the
word, and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves. 23 For
if anyone is a hearer of the
word and not a doer, he is
like a man observing his
natural face in a mirror;

24 for he observes himself,
goes away, and immediately
forgets what kind of man he
was. 25 But he who looks
into the perfect law of
liberty and continues in it,
and is not a forgetful hearer
but a doer of the work, this
one will be blessed in what
he does.

26 If anyone among you
thinks he is religious, and
does not bridle his tongue
but deceives his own heart,
this one's religion is
useless. 27 Pure and
undefiled religion before
God and the Father is this:
to visit orphans and widows
in their trouble, and to keep
oneself unspotted from the
world.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Various metaphors are used in Scripture to describe God's Word:
a mirror (James 1:2); fire and a hammer (Jer. 23:29), a lamp (Ps.
119-105), water (Eph. 5:26), a two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12), a seed
(1 Peter 1:23), food (Job 23:12), and milk (1 Peter 2:2). The Word
of God reveals, consumes, breaks, illuminates, purifies, convicts,
regenerates, satisfies, and nourishes the believer. It is not enough to
know God's Word; we need to obey it (James 1:22-25).