And I - in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. Psalm 17:15
When you look in the mirror every morning, what do you see? What likeness do you see?
Do you see a man who is full of guilt? Maybe you see a man who is broken by his sin, a man who can never seem to get it all together. Maybe you see a man who, despite how hard he tries, constantly falls down, a man ruled by his desires, his habits, his addictions.
Do you see a man trapped by the evil of the world?
Or do you see a man who is free from guilt? Maybe you see a man whose will has been broken by the very hand of God, a man who turns to the Spirit to keep it all together. Maybe you see a man who understands God's grace and has quit trying to do it on his own, a man who no longer hides in the darkness but dances in the light.
Do you see the very likeness of God?
If you don't, maybe you should. We are all created in God's image. Every time we look in the mirror, it is Him we should see. We were not meant to look like the world.
Lord, for so many years it has been painful to look in the mirror. How many times have I stood wondering, "Who is that man? How has he fallen so far away? Will he ever overcome the wounds of the enemy?" But truly, it is Your intention - Your hope - that the likeness we see in the mirror is Yours, for that is how You made us to be.
For most of my life, I have struggled with my self-image; I have struggled to face the man in the mirror. Even God's grace wasn't enough to change my opinion. But something is happening, Lord. You are healing me. You are giving me eyes that can see Your image more clearly each time I look in the mirror. Now, I can see a man who has been set free by the blood of Christ.
How marvelous You are! How wonderful is Your grace! How beautiful is the likeness I see!