The looking glass never lies and truthfully tells what is what. It may not be the same for the viewer. The viewer may like to see only what he or she wants to see disregarding the rest, which may not necessarily be the reality or the truth. We use a mirror to see what we look like. If there is dirt, we are able to identify it and remove it. We can use it for a proper morning shave and look better. It also helps us to detect any abnormality and deal with it accordingly.
Similar is the Word of the Lord. It tells us very categorically the lives we are to live and are living. At the same time understand the Creator God, what He requires from us, and what we are expected to do. As we read the scriptures, we will understand how we are deviating from it, and accordingly, understand the spiritual aberration in our lives. Once we identify the deviation, it is in the fitness of things to address it. We are to live a Christlike life and be obedient to our Creator. James 1:23-25 gives very good counsel “For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
The Word of God not only examines our life, but it also can also restore our lives. In II Samuel 11 we are told how David committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, and when she conceived, he ordered to send Uriah to the front line of the battlefield so that he is smitten and dies. This is precisely what happens. The Lord sent Nathan His prophet to David to rebuke him for what he did. Nathan approaches David with the word of the Lord. He tells him a story. In II Samuel 12:1-4 “And he came unto him and said unto him, there were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: 3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. 4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.”
When King David heard this account, he was very angry. Then Nathan told King David you are that man. In II Samuel 12 David is told “Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.” When David understood the implication of what he had done, he was very sorry and acknowledged his sin. In II Samuel 12:13 “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.” The fact David confessed his sins, saved him from the wrath of God. Since he understood and acknowledged the word of the Lord, the word restored him.
The Lord promises that if we listen to his voice and follow his commandments, we shall be blessed. And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Deuteronomy 28:2
Dr Ashwin Drummond