Corona Devo 1964

Look in the mirror: what do we see today?  Is the reflection that we see of us...or of God, the One that we are seeking to resemble?  

Reflections don't lie.  If we see (in our reflection) the hair/shoes/clothes/money/enhancements to "look impressive", then riches and worldly acceptance are probably what we are seeking...and reflecting.

But look closer...

What does our calendar reflect?  Where do we spend most of our time...and how?  Are we reflecting Jesus in what we do daily?

But look closer...

What does our heart reflect: Us or God?  And let's get honest with our answer, because we are only fooling ourselves when we (merely) glance at God's intentions, and then do what we want anyway.  That is not reflecting God, His will, or His heart.  

God must sense that all of us are not telling all of the truth in our answers about ourselves and how we are reflecting Him.  Or perhaps...God senses that I am not. 

And so, God gets direct with us in His Word (the Bible), because we can fool some of the people some of the time, and we can even fool ourselves sometimes, but we can never fool God.  

He's on to us, and He has more for us (in this life and in our spirit) if we will reflect Him instead of ourselves.

We can't just listen to God’s word and then walk away, and forget what the Bible says and looks like.

God gave us His Word, and His Law, and His love through the Bible, and that wasn't an act of (mere) kindness, or something that He did because He had spare time. 

We have to start with God’s word.  We have to read it--that's how we first gain it.  And we have to listen to it.  God wants us to read and listen to the Bible.  But not just listen...

Because if that is all that we're doing (listening)...then we're not cutting it, God says.

Look closer...

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. (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.  ~James 1:22-25

Did these words from James Chapter 1 just cut through anyone else's priorities/facade/mask/calendar/budget/free-time/heart???

God sees us.  And that is sometimes good and comforting and encouraging.  

God sees us.  And sometimes the reminder of how very well God knows us (inside and out)...is leveling.  

God's talking Directly. To. Us. Today.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.

Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

(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.  ~James 1:22-25

Father, we are doing the "but" today.

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.  ~James 1:22-25

Regardless of what we did/prioritized/read/lived/reflected yesterday...TODAY we are looking carefully into the perfect law that sets us free.  (P.S.--The Bible is the perfect law that sets us free.)  

By chewing on this verse (and swallowing it, even if it chokes us a little), and by becoming honest with ourselves about how God's Word applies to us, and by allowing these words (God's perfect law) to alter our activities and our belief...by doing this: we are "looking carefully" into the perfect law that sets us free.  

Ignoring God's Word, or letting it fall on shallow soil within our hearts is like glancing at your face in a mirror... walking away, and forgetting what you look like (James 1:23-24).

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.  ~James 1:25

Pardon my expression, but that's a nice "but".    

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.  ~James 1:25

Every part of that verse is nice.  

~~~

Our reflection (of the Lord) might have been distorted by our distracted-heart yesterday, but today we can listen to God’s word...AND do what it says (James 1:22).

And--we won't just listen without doing.  (I'm tired of faking faith, aren't you?)  And we are only fooling ourselves (James 1:22) anyway.

God's on to us, and He has more for us (in this life and in our faith) if we will reflect Him instead of ourselves.

... if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.  ~James 1:22-25

Let's do it today. 

Let's not just listen to God's word today.

Let's obey it today.

Let's do what it (the Bible) says today.

Let's look carefully into the perfect law (God's Word) that sets us free today. 

Let's just do it today.

Let's not forget what we heard in God's Word today. 

Let's receive God's blessing for doing it today.  

~~~

Let's know God's Word so that we can reflect God today.

Blessings,  

sarah  

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com