SPIRITUAL
DIARY FOR 09-04-03
My Worship Time Focus: God’s
Word A Mirror
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: James 1:23-24
Message of the verse: “23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and
not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for
once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what
kind of person he was.” (NASB)
James is using a word picture in
these verses, and that is the Word of God being likened unto a mirror. What is the purpose of a mirror? A mirror is used to look at ones face to see
what it looks like. If a person has dirt
on his face he can look into a mirror to see where the dirt is and then wash it
off and again look into the mirror to see that it is cleaned off. James says a believer can look into the Word
of God and I believe by the power of the Holy Spirit and also by the power of
the living Word, (Heb. 4:12), see the imperfections, (sins), in ones life. The Word of God can examine our life. The
Word of God not only examines our life, but it also can also restore our
lives. The story of Nathan approaching
David with the Word of God not only caused David to examine his life and see
the sin but it also restored his life, 2Samues 12:13 reads, “Then David said to
Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD.’ And Nathan said to David, "The
LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.” 1 John 1:9 also speaks of restoring a person
who has sinned: “If we confess our sins
He is faithful and just to forgive us are sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” The Word of God not
only examines us and restores us but it also will transform us. Every true born-again believer can see this
in there life, but as I said in yesterday’s SD we are to walk with the Lord in
the same way that we were born-again, and that is by grace through faith. The Greek word used for this transformation
we get the English word metamorphosis from.
A couple of places this is seen in the Bible are 2 Corinthians 3:18, “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 from the Lord, the
Spirit.” This verse says that the Word
of God has the power to transform the believer from one glory to another glory. This is part of how God brings maturity to a
believer. Maturity or perfection can be
described as a believer perfectly going towards perfection. A young believer in the Lord will be mature
at a different level, or “glory” than that of an older believer, in the
Lord.
I want to touch on the word
transform, or metamorphosis again. It
can be described as a change on the outside that comes from the inside. This is how an ugly worm can turn into a
beautiful butterfly. Another time this
term is used in the Scripture is when Jesus took His disciples up onto the
mount of transfiguration which is described in Matthew 17:2, “And He was transfigured before them;
and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as
light.” I think that this verse can be
explained by saying that while Jesus Christ walked upon this earth His glory
was veiled and at this point He allowed His three disciples to see His unveiled
glory. His appearance changed from the
inside out.
In conclusion these verses teach
that the Word of God is described as a mirror which can examine, restore, and
transform the believer so that he will be more mature in his walk with the
Lord.
2.
Spiritual meaning for my life today:
The Word of God has great power as it is able to examine my life and
then restore me to fellowship and then transform me into a believer that is
more like my Lord Jesus Christ. I want
to be available for this to happen in my life.
The Word of God was
convicting to my heart as well as refreshing to my soul.
My
Steps of Faith Today: After
studying this passage my prayer would be the same as the Psalmist “Search me, O
God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there
be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:23-24
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