Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Pastor Chuck Allen here with another weekday podcast. And this week we're talking about how to better understand and read the word of God. Trying to understand the Bible and apply it in a practical way.
So if you've missed the last two days, I'd encourage you to go back to Monday the 13th and check that and Tuesday out, because that leads us into the Bible as a mirror. Today again, welcome to the weekday podcast. Today, as we talk about something beautiful and uncomfortable, remember this. The way the Bible acts in many ways is a mirror. You probably looked in a mirror today, maybe to fix your hair, straighten your shirt, straighten a tie, or whatever you do, and make sure there's no toothpaste on your chin. Because mirrors show us what is true.
I hate that part of it. They show us exactly what is going on, even when we don't like it. In the book of James, we get this really cool, vivid picture. It says, for if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself walk away and forget what you look like.
Ouch. James is saying that Scripture doesn't just give us information. It shows us ourselves. It reflects what's really going on inside. When you read the Bible, sometimes you'll see your hope reflected back. You'll find comfort, encouragement, and strength. Oftentimes, you'll see and face fears, your pride, your impatience, and your hidden resentment. And that can sting. Here's the great news. God never shows you your reflection without also offering his redemption.
He doesn't expose. He. He doesn't expose to shame you. He exposes to heal you. Think of a. Think of a doctor. Think of a physician. If a doctor looks at your scan and sees something dangerous, their goal isn't to condemn you, it's to help heal you. They show you what's really there so you can move toward health. That's what scripture does when we let it function as a mirror. The NLT's clarity is one of the reasons I love to read this version. It can. It gives us this reflection, even a sharper way because the language is so direct and understandable. There are plenty of other versions that do the same thing. It's just my preference. So how do we read the Bible this way without running from what we see? Well, let me offer this simple practice before you read prayer. Lord, show me what you see in yourself, in the world, and in me. Then, as we read, Lord together, would you bring to the surface of my heart exactly what I need to notice?
Maybe you read Jesus's command to forgive and you immediately think of that person you're still holding hostage in your heart. Maybe you read about generosity and it exposes how tightly you're gripping your resources. Maybe you read about God's care for the brokenhearted and you realize how harsh you've been with other people or with yourself.
That's the mirror at work. And you have a choice. You can walk away and forget what you saw, or you can stay there and talk to God about it.
You know the Bible. There's this invitation underneath some of this discomfort. We feel how God is always pulling us toward a more whole, more honest, more loving version of who we are.
[00:03:49] Speaker B: Today.
The scripture mirrors who we are, but
[00:03:52] Speaker A: also who we're becoming in Christ Jesus.
[00:03:56] Speaker B: A super practical way to respond when the Bible shows you something hard is Name it Lord. I see my impatience here, or I see my fear here.
Own it. No excuses, no blame shifting, just an honest confession.
[00:04:09] Speaker A: 3.
[00:04:10] Speaker B: Invite Jesus into it. Ask for his forgiveness, his healing, his strength to change. And number four, Take a small step. Is there a conversation you need to have, an apology you need to make, or a habit you need to shift? You see, the mirror of scripture isn't meant to leave you frozen in shame, but it doesn't speak to us in guilt. It's meant to move us into transformation.
I've had days where a familiar passage hits me in a brand new way. It's like God adjusts the angle of the mirror and suddenly I see something I've never seen before. A pattern, a wound, a calling. Something unique.
And in those moments, I'm reminded God loves me enough to show me the truth, even when it's uncomfortable.
So today, don't be afraid of what the mirror shows. Stand there a little longer. Let the word of God in the clear and gentle language of scripture, reveal what's going on.
Because on the other side of that
[00:05:14] Speaker A: honest reflection, we find freedom.
[00:05:16] Speaker B: And Jesus is always pulling us and moving us toward freedom.
Thanks so much for listening in on today's weekday podcast. Tomorrow we'll we'll explore explore how understanding the context of the Bible, Scripture and what's happening around the words of the Bible can open up an entirely new
[00:05:38] Speaker A: level of insight and compassion as we
[00:05:41] Speaker B: understand and know a little better how to read Scripture.
[00:05:45] Speaker A: I'm Chuck Allen. Grace and Peace Friends, thanks again for joining me on today's weekday podcast.
