The Mirror of Grace

The Mirror Of Grace

On the outside I had fallen prey to the enemy, a terrifying, gigantic creature. I was beaten, defeated, torn and bloody. As I lay shattered on the ground the enemy closing in for the fatal final blow, one who was far greater and more powerful even than my enemy came, his majesty dwarfed and overwhelmed my tormentor forcing him to fall back cowering and defeated. My rescuer was The Loving Living Lord, and he came to me and picked me up just as I was - more dead than alive - and carried me to a safe place, the shelter of the Almighty. Here he tended to my wounds, healing and restoring, until at last I could again stand shakily on my feet.

Yet outside this place of safety I could see my enemy still lurking, prowling around, and seeking some way to destroy me. I could hear his taunts and abuse, his mocking words. Even in my sanctuary the words found a mark in my heart as if a sword was being thrust into me. With a triumphant laugh the enemy observing my weakness lunged again with unsheathed claws, but the shield of God’s love protected me. The enemy fell back as if struck by some invisible, mighty force, and retreated snarling and angry.

Still I was afraid. Memory of past failure and the awareness of my own weakness haunted me. I realized the enemy couldn’t reach me in this safe place; he couldn’t separate me from God’s love. Yet the taunts and abuse still echoed in my heart, I found it so hard to ignore them, and in that moment of doubt and weakness was when the enemy produced the “mirror-of-negativity”. He held it up so that I could not help but see the horrific reflection looking back at me. As I looked at myself I could see only the very worst in me, only my faults, real or imagined and all my failures, all that was bad, all that was ugly. There was nothing good in the reflection of myself that I could see. It was a horrible sight and as I beheld it I felt so worthless, so unworthy to be alive. I wanted to die and rid the world of this terrible person that was me.

Yet The Loving Living Lord was still there for me in a powerful way even in my moment of deep despair. With a mighty shout and a strong hand he dashed that terrible mirror of negativity from the hands of the enemy shattering it into a million pieces. With unimaginable awesome power and authority he sent the beast on its way. Then he came to me in the place where he sheltered me, and I felt his mercy and loving presence. Gently and without condemnation he lifted me up and made me look into another mirror, one that he held. It was called “The Mirror of Grace”, and when I looked in it I saw myself as he sees me, for my flawed reflection was covered by the perfect reflection of Jesus.