TUESDAY May 1, 2018

Mirrored Reflections

Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. And when he cut the hair of his head—at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him—when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king’s standard. - >2 Samuel 14:25-26

Absalom was such a good looking person but because everybody admired him he developed a huge ego. Imagine how all the women must have looked at him. Absalom must have known how handsome he was, but behind that mirrored image was a monster. Satan, through Absalom’s growing pride, was at work in his heart.

If only Absalom could have learned truth from his father. David was a man after God’s own heart. When God chose him to become the next king it was not because of his outward stature. God chose him because he had the right heart. In 1 Samuel 16:7 the Lord said to the prophet Samuel: For the Lorddoesnot see as man sees;for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lordlooks at the heart.”

What about us when we observe ourselves in the mirror? We too can become prideful thinking we look so good. Compliments and attention by others can give us a false perception of who we really are. We must take an honest look at ourselves in the mirror. James 1:23-24 warns us:

 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;  for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

When God looks at us, He sees deep within our hearts. Look into the mirror and ask yourself, “Is my heart right before the Lord?”

A man's heart is what he is.
~R. B. Kuiper~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit Somebodylovesyouradio.org!