Mirror Mirror on the Wall
Opening Prayer
Lord, You have promised to meet with those who seek You. Come now and reveal Yourself to me.
Read James 4:7-12
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Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“Humbling ourselves before the Lord places us in the position to be freed from double-mindedness, a worldly and competitive spirit, and a judgmental attitude towards others” (James Earl Massey).
Think Further
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (7). What a promise! Many a time it doesn’t feel like our experience as we go through life. I remember a leader on a youth retreat comparing that verse to walking up to a herd of cows. “Keep going and they will move out of the way,” he assured us. As one born and raised in the city, I tried it a few days later. He was right but they waited until the very last minute as I nervously tried to look confident and keep going. Of course, it’s important that there were only cows in the field! These days you probably need a full risk assessment before encouraging anyone to try it!
James says the real risk is not resisting the devil. He will do anything to frighten us out of facing the truth about ourselves. Without that facing up to reality, encountering the living God doesn’t happen. For many of us God isn’t real because we have stopped being real about ourselves. It’s striking that James doesn’t spend time describing the God who draws near to us. His complacent readers need reminding of other things, especially of the need to submit themselves to God. We cannot come casually into God’s presence. We long for a spirituality that is all warmth and smiles, but here are people whose walk with the Lord needs mourning and wailing (9). Many of us instinctively promote ourselves. James calls on us to humble ourselves so that we can taste the grace of God as he lifts us up (10).
Of course, the way we think of ourselves is reflected in how we speak of others too. We can’t resist climbing onto the judgment seat, but we have neither the authority nor the mercy of the true Judge (12). Just the arrogance of those who haven’t yet looked closely at themselves in the mirror!
Apply
How does coming near to God strengthen you? How are you supposed to reflect the truth of verse 9?
Closing prayer
Forgiving Lord, I am in constant need of Your mercy and grace. In my brokenness make me whole. Reform me after Your will.
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