Mirror of Ourselves

https://odb.org/MY/2022/10/03/mirror-test

Who do we see when we look into the mirror? We obviously see ourselves. We are who we are as in the mirror. We can imagine we are someone else or a more beautiful or younger version of ourselves but we are still who we are. In fact, if we are women devoid of make up, that’s us there with all the ravages of age clearly visible to us in the mirror.

The interesting question posed today is who do we see when we read scripture. Do we only see the characters in the story or do we see God speaking to us? But most interestingly, do we see ourselves in the pages of the Bible as we read what God has to say to us? Seeing ourselves in the sense that as Jesus teaches the parable of the talents, do we see ourselves returning 10-fold or just the same talent (buried it under the ground?? Or when Jesus taught about storing treasures in heaven, do we see ourselves doing so? Or do we see ourselves only busy storing riches on earth? Or when we see Abraham and Moses responding to God’s call on their lives to respectively move out from the Ur of the Chaldeans and to bring the Israeli slaves out of Egypt, do we likewise respond to God’s call upon our lives? Or when we read about God’s laws being compassionate on the widows, the orphans and the foreigners by not harvesting everything from the harvest fields, do we have compassion on others by leaving something on the table as we negotiate or transact? Do we always have to drive such a hard bargain as others need to eke out a living like us too, except that they may not have the blessings and protection of God on their side like we often do? Are we thus compassionate and gracious to the weak and poor since God is on our side?

If we look at scripture as a mirror of ourselves, showing us our weaknesses and yet we see ourselves as victorious and overcoming our self, how wonderful a believer will we be! Seek out the rhema word as we learn of the logos as we read the bible but imagine and see ourselves as the people God is teaching about – we will go a long way achieving God’s image and plans and purposes for us. We will slowly but surely become the person the Lord wants us to be all along! We will be that sunflower standing proud in the desert deserted highway, prevailing against all odds, crushing all enemy plans against us! Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!