Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Today’s Scripture Passage:

I Samuel 16:1-13

Key Verse:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by a man’s face or height, for this is not the one. I don’t make decisions the way you do! Men judge by outward appearance, but I look at a man’s thoughts and intentions.” I Samuel 16:7 (TLB)

Three weeks ago, we looked at our need for checking the mirror of God’s word and seeing ourselves from God’s perspective. https://barbaracoulson.com/check-the-mirror/

Today I want to look at the potential dangers found in the mirrors on our walls.

I see two…

One danger is looking in the mirror and thinking because our reflection pleases us we’re living a life pleasing to God.

We are deceived if we think living a life pleasing to God has anything to do with our outward appearance.

Another danger is looking in the mirror and thinking because our reflection doesn’t please us we are of little value.

We are deceived if we think our value has anything to do with our outward appearance.

Years ago, our family lived in Hinesville, GA and attended a little church there. We always participated in the monthly potluck fellowships, but one of the summer months included a men’s bake-off for the evening’s dessert.

Those fellowships were always a lot of fun, but the most memorable was that bake-off and the cake we couldn’t eat.

When the judges cut into this particular cake, it wouldn’t cut. It was a beautiful cake. The icing and decorations looked yummy, but this sponge cake was actually made of kitchen sponges stacked up and covered in icing.

I’m guessing you already know what we talked about on the way home. It was a valuable lesson for our children, but just as valuable for us. It’s also just as important a lesson today as it was all those years ago.

The appearance of that “sponge cake” in no way revealed what was inside. There was nothing edible about that cake, and what’s the purpose of a cake if not for eating?

The same is true of us when we forget it’s not our exterior but our interior we must be sure to check regularly. There’s nothing wrong with using the mirror on our walls to check our appearance, but let’s not be fooled into believing what we see there reflects the truth about who we are and the choices we’re making.

God is the only One who can see the thoughts and motives of our hearts. Only the mirror of His word is capable of revealing the real you to you or the real me to me.

LORD, we definitely want to look nice, but please don’t let us get so caught up in our outward appearance that we neglect to pay attention to our heart’s condition. Please protect us from measuring ourselves by the mirrors on our walls. Help us instead, to measure ourselves by the mirror of Your word. Amen.

Digging Deeper:

Psalm 19:14, Jeremiah 17:9-10, Ezekiel 11:18-20, Matthew 12:34-35, & Matthew 15:17-19

Friend, would you like to find out how you can have a new heart? You can use the following link to find out just how God replaces our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh. I would love for you to reach out and let me know if you’ve just been given a new heart. https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.