Mirror Image

Recently, an evangelist was speaking on vision and talked about the passage of Genesis 30.  It seems so many are talking and writing on vision.  What a great topic to stir us to move forward! 

In Genesis 30, Laban tried to trick Jacob out of his inheritance.  Laban told Jacob he could have all the spotted or streaked animals, but then Laban hid those animals with his sons to keep them from Jacob.  In return, Jacob gave the animals left in his care an image to focus on in order to change the situation. 

Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees

and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. Then he placed

these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink,

for that was where they mated.  And when they mated in front of the white-streaked

 branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 

(Gen. 30: 37-39 NLT)

 

 

Looking into a reflection has never been my favorite past time.  I am not quite sure why.  Maybe it was peers teasing about me being plain when I was a kid or possibly constantly comparing myself with my three beautiful sisters.  Nevertheless, for years I have been learning to see someone beautiful look back at me in the mirror.  I have had to teach my children the same about their person, to love the creation they are SIMPLY because GOD MADE them.  It has forced me to giddy-up on this topic for my own person. 

 

This week, I keep thinking about what life would be like and the peace that would follow us if we were looking at the right reed in our mirrors.  God has written and declared throughout His Word about the creation that we are.  David declared,

 

"Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

  Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it."

(Ps. 139:14 NLT)

 

It is time we see it, the right reed in the water.  It is the truth of who we really are, as His creation.  When we see ourselves in that light, we actually become like the image we see.  Even more, I am going to practice declaring beauty when I look in the mirror.  Instead of calling myself "quirky" at my childlike behavior and antics, I will declare I am "fun" and let the joy of the Lord bubble out of me, infecting the atmosphere around me.  He did make me, He sings and dances over me (Zeph. 3:17), and He desires for our words and thoughts to line up with the TRUTH of who we are!   

 

 

What will you declare today?  Name one thing you will practice this week to change the reed that you see?