Devotional for Thursday, July 13, 2017
“Just As You See Your Own Face”
by Dona Hake
Proverbs 27:19 (ERV) “Just as you can see your own face reflected in water, so your heart reflects the
kind of person you are.”
This portion of scripture stirs my heart to think about the true spiritual condition of my heart. If I were to stand over a crystal clear pond and look in, my reflection would answer back at me or in other words I would see myself in the reflection of the water.I would see myself for exactly what I am because the reflection does not lie. When you stand in front of a mirror you can not stand there and say, “this is not me!” or “I do not look like that!” Our reflections are speaking to us and telling us exactly what we look like. So it is when we look into God’s Word, He will reveal to us our need for Him and all that He wants us to be. If we permit Him, He will show us the kind of person we are, and also the condition of our heart.
James 1:22-25 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“”But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it,
betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].
For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it
and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully
at his [own] natural face in a mirror;
For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes
off and promptly forgets what he was like.
But he who looks carefully into the faultless law,
the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres
in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets
but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed
in his doing (his life of obedience).”
There will be those times in which we hear the Word and we may feel a bit convicted and we need to give heed, and be an active doer as this scripture tells us to do. This tugging at our heart is the Holy Spirit speaking to us to make changes, and this kind of change really is a good thing. This scripture is clear that we need to give heed to the Word we hear and read, and the living water of the Word will truly reveal to us the condition of our heart if we permit it to. The Lord is loving, and He will help us to make the adjustments we need to be molded into His image. Let us look carefully at ourselves in light of God’s Word and allow Him to work in us.
Lord, we ask You this day to show us the true condition of our hearts. Help us to be reminded of the importance of remaining humble before You that You will have free reign in our hearts. Help us to be doers and not just hearers of Your Word. We thank You that You are able to do a wonderful and transforming work within us. Help us also to be patient and persevering as we walk through times of change that You are desiring to work within us. In Jesus Name we ask, amen!