How To See God
With the kind You show Yourself kind; with the perfect one You show Yourself perfect; with the clean You show Yourself clean; and with the crooked You show Yourself twisted. Psalm 18:25-26 (translation: M. Buber)
You Show Yourself – The psalmist knew the secret to seeing the Lord. Behavior determines vision. What I do is what I see. If my actions exhibit kindness, YHWH shows Himself to me with kindness. If my actions demonstrate striving for holiness, YHWH shows Himself to me as holy. If I live in ritual purity, I perceive YHWH as pure. And if my actions are bent toward my own interests, I will see God as a mockery of the truth, a twisted misrepresentation of His true character. In each instance, the initial verb is repeated with a reflexive form. It’s like looking into the mirror.
The psalmist knew this eternal principle of spiritual vision: I see the god of my own decisions. A man who claims he has no experience of God’s goodness is a man who has never given himself to goodness. A man who cannot find God’s truth is a man who twists what he knows is true into lies. A man who is unable to accept a forgiving God is a man who cannot forgive others. A man who lives as if there is no God is a man who has no absolute values in his soul.
Of course, applying this eternal principle to others, especially to pagans, seems a fairly simple task. Our evaluation of the actions of another seems clear enough. We recognize deceit, unfaithfulness, imperfection and selfishness in others just as we recognize different shades of color. But when we turn the same principle on ourselves, things aren’t quite so obvious. That’s why we need to apply the acid test of actions.
A man who does not hear from God is a man who does not listen to others.
A woman who feels afraid of God is a woman who fears for her own life.
A man who finds his prayers empty is a man who lacks compassion.
A woman who experiences the constant presence of the Father is a woman who comforts and directs those in need.
A man who knows Yeshua as a friend is a man who gives himself to friendship with his companions.
A woman who has found forgiveness is a woman who has forgiven much.
A man who is loved is a man who has loved no matter what the cost.
Do you wish to see God? Look first into the mirror. What do you see there? God reveals Himself in that mirror image. That’s where the vision must start.
Topical Index: vision, you show yourself, reflection, Psalm 18:25-26
Interesting. ot quite like the old proverbial naval looking,yet close. I see the problem for me is thst I tend to not look in the mirror. That way I do not have to see the truth about me.
Skip, I really enjoyed this devotional.
It spoke to me in many ways.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with loved ones and family.
God bless.
Ellen
Before I head off to look in the mirror… I want to say that I’m often just blown away by the consistency with which Skip deliver’s such truth filled, convicting, spot on messages. Day after day, the teachings come. God is faithful to put them on his heart…Skip is faithful to write them. And, in turn, we are blessed to be able to read them. I’m betting that there are lots of others out there who feel the same as I do.
Thanks Skip…what a gift you are!!
I agree with Judi. Skip, you are a true student of His word. Thanks for all your hard work! I have been challenged, encouraged, provoked, and have learned much.
May YHWH bless you!
Skip, I join many readers in expressing appreciation for the exhaustive work of revealing the original intent of the Hebrew Scriptures to us. Coupled with yesterday’s article, “Honor Bound,” I am reminded of this verse:
2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” NASB
Thank you for doing the ‘heavy lifting’ for me!
Dear Skip,
The message of the mirrow is dear to my heart and I am so glad you are speaking of it to others.
THANK YOU!
My mother told me the story of a woman who was going up some stairs. She was looking at the woman’s shoes in front of her and thinking how bad they looked. As she was thinking she stepped out of her own shoes and was barefoot.
It is true from Scripture that in what we judge (we see) anothers, it will be judged of us, and the wise saying of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” used to be taught in the schools.
In seeking a more affective prayer life, I found that if I look at myself first, look in the mirror, seek for the beam in my eye, so I can clearly remove the speak from another, I usually find the beam. If I do not find that I have sinned, I cannot beat on my chest, because I probably have the iniquity. Somewhere in all my past generations someone surely was guilty or had that fault that I am seeing in another, and it was passed down to me though it may not yet have manifested.
If I then repent for the iniquities of my fathers and forefathers first, then intercede for another, it is amazing how the Holy Spirit works. This process kills the spirit of judgment that has been in me. This principle when applied truly increased my prayer life. (I have had a lot of judgment toward others). His House is a House of Prayer. And, I have had deliverance and healing from things that were in me that I was unaware of (had the beam to blind me), but others could see in me.
In the past, what was in me, the iniquity passed down, would come against me, like you spoke of. If I had the iniquity of stealing, people would steal from me. If I had the iniquity of unforgiveness, people would not forgive me, etc. When this happened and I had not sinned in that area, I would be so angry at those who did it to me, and judgmental (Like: I don’t do that to you, why do you do that to me?)
When I repented on the area (removing the beam that had blinded me), and interceded for the other person doing me wrong, no longer did people do whatever it was to me, and I no longer had the fear of it happening. Really amazing!!!! What freedom!
I praise and thank God for this principle of the mirror.
My husband read that the bowl that the priests wash in before they went into pray was made from copper and was like a “looking glass” or mirror. What do you know about this? Please talk more on this subject.
With gratitude,
Abigale