Session 7

Truth Is In The Mirror

From Hosea: A 12-Day Devotional

You read a great devotional about grace, marriage or gossip, and the first thing that pops in your mind is, “I know somebody who needs to read this.” Sound familiar?

Instead of using Scripture as a mirror, we often use it as a magnifying glass to point out faults in others, the very ones we might struggle with ourselves.

This happened to the people of Israel, too. Instead of hearing Hosea’s warnings and applying them to their own lives, the Israelites were so accustomed to their idolatry and sin that they “regarded [God’s law] as something foreign” (Hosea 8:11-12).

It's not easy to look in the mirror, to look inward and face our own sin. Focusing on others’ negative qualities alleviates that anxiety, but in doing so, we deceive ourselves into thinking we’re fine when we’re not.

This blame game has been going on since the beginning of time (Genesis 3:12). And in James 1:22-25, we’re given the perfect prescription for this not-so-modern psychological malady:

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it — not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it -- they will be blessed in what they do.”

Being in Christ gives us freedom to run from sin and to embrace the truth in the mirror.

Reflect:

• Is there someone you frequently think of when reading your Bible or devotional or hearing a sermon?  Is it possible that you struggle with similar weaknesses?
• Jesus offers freedom from all sin. We only need to acknowledge, turn from, and ask forgiveness for it.  Are you running from something in the mirror?
• What’s one area of your life where you need God’s strength to overcome your sin?