WEDNESDAY
This devotional is adapted from David Habrat’s sermon on Sunday June 29. Sorry, there is no audio version of the devotional this week.
Have you ever stopped to really look at yourself in a mirror? Not just a quick glance to check your hair, but a long, thoughtful gaze? In the wilderness tabernacle, God instructed Moses to create something special - a bronze basin made from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting (Exodus 38:8).
Exodus 38:8 8 They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
This wasn't just any basin. It was where the priests would wash before entering God's presence. And the symbolism is beautiful: THE LAVER IS JESUS THE WORD!
Think about it. This basin, crafted from mirrors and filled with water, created a reflective surface where the priests could see themselves. In the same way, when we open God's Word, we're looking into a spiritual mirror that shows us who we truly are in Christ.
Paul captures this perfectly in 2 Corinthians 3:18 when he says that all of us, with unveiled faces, continue to behold the glory of God as in a mirror. And as we gaze, something miraculous happens - we're "constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another." This transformation comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Isn't that incredible news? The Word doesn't just show us our flaws - it cleanses us and transforms us!
Here's something worth contemplating today: Apart from God, I can do nothing. I am nothing. Nothing I do lasts... it's like dust in the wind. Our human efforts, our striving, our attempts to clean ourselves up are all temporary.
But the Word - like that wash basin in the tabernacle - cleanses us and reveals who we truly are IN CHRIST! It's not about who we are in our weakness, but who we are in His strength.
The Bible overflows with declarations about our identity in Jesus. Here are three precious truths I cling to daily:
I AM FORGIVEN
I AM A CHILD OF GOD
I AM A FRIEND OF JESUS!
There are so many more! Why not write some of these truths down and tape them to your mirror at home? That way, you won't "leave and straightway forget what manner of man you are" (James 1:24). Remember: YOU ARE A SAINT... you are CALLED... YOU ARE LOVED... Jesus has redeemed your life and set you on a path to eternity.
Something powerful happens when we allow ourselves to be cleansed by the Word. TRUTH COMES! And not just any truth - transformative truth that ushers us into the next part of the tabernacle journey: the HOLY PLACE.
Today, I encourage you to spend time gazing into the mirror of God's Word. Don't rush. Let it show you who you really are in Christ. Let it wash away the dust of the world's lies. Let it prepare you to enter God's presence with confidence, knowing that in Christ, you are welcome, you are worthy, you are loved.
As you go through your day, carry these truths with you. When doubt creeps in, when accusing voices rise up, remember who the Word says you are. And let that truth transform you from glory to glory.