SCRIPTURE

“As the Father love Me, I also have loved you, abide in My love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15: 9 – 10

OBSERVATION

As I continue to read through John, I notice that whenever Jesus speaks, He makes references to His Father – it’s a major theme of an inter-relational connection.  Whatever Jesus is doing, His Father is doing also. Whatever is God’s will, is also Jesus’ will.  Equally, whatever Jesus experiences, for example ‘hate’ then God also is ‘hated’.  It’s almost as if Jesus is looking into the mirror and seeing God looking back and all of their desires, thoughts and actions are the same – it is a perfect reflection.

If we abide in Christ, then we will be mirroring this relationship also, between Christ and ourselves, with our thoughts, desires and actions mirroring His.  In so doing, we also have an inter-relational connection with God.

APPLICATION

Looking into the mirror of our lives and who we really are is not an easy process. When we look at Jesus, we become more acutely aware of our sin and the brokenness that is within us, because in all honesty we really do not reflect His true nature.  There are some days when I do not want to come before Jesus because I am painfully aware of how far removed I am from that reflection of His character.  I am broken, and if it wasn’t for Jesus, my mirror would be broken too, and there would be no way of communing with God.  But Jesus continues to look at me, and as long as I continue to look at Him, He teaches me what I need to do to become more like Him.

The beauty of this relationship is when God looks at me, He knows who I really am. But because I have accepted Jesus and I am trying to abide in Him, the blood of Jesus covers me.  Though I am broken, because of Jesus, my mirror reflects His sacrificial love, His Grace and Mercy. Jesus is our Mediator and He stands between myself and God.  God sees Jesus first – a perfect reflection of His love.

PRAYER

Dear God

I am thankful that You are Perfect in All Your Ways.  I am thankful that you sent Jesus to show us how to abide in You, as He does.  I am also thankful again for the sacrifice Jesus made to cover me with His blood.  Without this blood, I would be broken and my relationship with You would be broken too.

Thank You that Jesus is our Mediator, who stands before us now, and at judgment, talking to You on our behalf and I pray that we can continue to learn Your ways through  the mirror of His reflection.

In Jesus’ Name

Amen