The Mirror of the Word: A Daily Devotional Podcast from C.E. White

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

—Philippians 4:13

This is one of the most known, loved, and shared verses in the Bible, but it’s almost always taken to mean something that it doesn’t mean.

We say it when we have that job interview, that ball game, that cancer treatment.

“I can do all things!” 

“I can get the job.” 

“I can win the game.” 

“I can beat the cancer.”

And that may be the Lord’s will for us. But that’s not what this verse means.

The previous verses are, “For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need” (Philippians 4:11–12).

These are the things Paul is saying we can do. We can be content even when we don’t get the job, win the game, or beat the cancer, because our hope lies in something that will matter long after all that is over.

Christ has overcome this world not by saying we will always win or be successful or have it easy right now but by giving us a way to live with him forever beyond the here and now. This world is not our home, and nothing that can happen in this world is the end of hope for believers.

We can suffer failure, loss, and hunger yet still have hope, knowing Christ has already accomplished the ultimate overcoming.

The post JUNE 25-Hope Beyond Winning appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

—Philippians 4:8

This verse is sandwiched between two others about having the peace of God, and I’m pretty sure that’s not an accident.

Even secular studies have revealed that focusing on the things we’re grateful for is beneficial for long–term mental health, while focusing on the negative things in our lives only brings inner turmoil.

It’s human nature for the bad to outweigh the good in our minds. We let ten bad minutes ruin our whole day or one negative comment outweigh seven good ones. This is called “negativity bias,” and it’s not good for us. It gives the bad more power over us than the good and gives Satan a place to sow anger and bitterness in our hearts (Ephesians 4:27; Hebrews 12:15).

God knows that it’s better for us to spend our time considering the good things and to let them overshadow the bad in our hearts and minds, bringing his peace. This doesn’t mean we pretend the bad doesn’t happen or that it doesn’t affect us, but it does mean we don’t let it control us or our faith in the Lord.

When our negative thoughts are taking control in our minds, it’s good to ask ourselves, “What is true in my life today? What is honorable? What is right, pure, lovely, and commendable?”

If we’re going to have anything on repeat in our minds, it needs to be these things.

We focus on them and let the peace of God rule in our hearts.

The post JUNE 24-Think on These Things appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

—Ephesians 4:31–32

We can probably look at this list and determine which direction we trend.

It’s easy to be bitter, wrathful, angry, and slanderous. Those things arise from our desires, our ideas of what is right and fair, and what we believe we deserve.

But kindness, compassion, and forgiveness can only be achieved by abiding in Jesus Christ. They don’t come naturally and will not happen without us putting firm intention into living them out.

This requires thoughtful response rather than impulsive reaction. It requires dealing with hurts by loving our enemies rather than simply expecting not to be wronged.

Many situations in this world could make us bitter and angry, but we’re called to live in kindness and forgiveness regardless. If we’re living this way when nothing happens to be bothering us, there is no reward (Matthew 5:46). We’re to do it in the midst of chaos, injustice, and pain, just as Jesus did.

“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Jesus said this while still in the throes of a torturous death.

To us, it looks very much like those people knew what they were doing, but Jesus knew they were deceived.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12); those who we feel deserve our bitterness and wrath are blinded by those powers.

We’re to be kind and forgiving and not let our hearts be hardened. Our compassionate forgiveness can show others the power and love of Christ.

The post JUNE 23-Kindness in Chaos appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“Then these men said, ‘We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him regarding the law of his God.’”

—Daniel 6:5

Daniel was being promoted above all the other overseers the king had appointed, and they were jealous. They wanted to accuse him of disloyalty to the king, but they could find nothing.

When we consider the fact that Daniel was a foreign captive taken into the king’s service and likely made a eunuch, this is saying something. By all earthly rights, he should’ve hated the king and the kingdom he was serving. We would hardly blame him if he’d been planning sedition and murder.

But Daniel served with such integrity that no fault could be found in him. Those men knew, however, that his devotion to God was unfailing, and they found a way to use that against him.

If we were forced into servanthood in an evil household, would we do our job so faithfully that our master would trust us above all others? If others tried to find a way to bring us down, would there be evidence that would convict us and bring shame to God’s name? Would our dedication to God be enough to incriminate us if that were the criteria?

Like Daniel, we live in an evil world, often in difficult circumstances we did not choose. How do we perform our duties to those in authority over us? They’re often not godly people, and it would be easy to say they’re not worthy of our effort, but our service is to God (Colossians 3:23–24). Our integrity is to him, and our only fault should be that we will not disobey God’s law to follow man’s, no matter what power that man has.

The post JUNE 22-Known for My Integrity appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“God is our refuge and strength, a very ready help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth shakes and the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.”

—Psalm 46:1–3

Years ago, I was looking for an apartment with a roommate who preferred a gated complex. “Gates don’t really keep people out,” I said. “It’s just an illusion of safety.” “Well, then,” she replied, “I’d like the highest illusion of safety possible.”

The world is not a safe place. Even when we think we’re in control and protected, things can change in the blink of an eye.

We’re never actually in control. God is, and has always been, our only sure refuge.

When things are going smoothly and it seems like everything is under control, it’s easy to trust in our environment and circumstances instead of in him; we begin to trust that illusion of safety.

We should invest in our lives—we’re instructed to be hard workers and to build relationships—but we shouldn’t begin to trust in security, wealth, or relationships more than we trust our God. We must hold all of this world loosely, willing to give it up at the Lord’s prompting. He may call us to leave everything familiar behind, as Abraham did (Genesis 12:1; Hebrews 11:8).

When God is our refuge and strength, our faith will remain even if we lose earthly security, wealth, or relationships. It will remain even when the earth gives way, the mountains move, and the waters roar.

The post JUNE 21-Even If Everything Falls appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“Are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them.”

—Jeremiah 45:5

Jeremiah’s scribe Baruch was feeling sorry for himself, like God hadn’t honored him for his faithfulness. He didn’t trust that his eternal reward was worth it; he wanted earthly rewards now.

Don’t we all do this to some extent when life gets hard? “But I’ve been doing my best to follow you, Lord. Why did you let this happen? Why do I continue to struggle?”

This often reveals our motives and where we’ve put our heart’s desire. We were hoping for an earthly reward—seeking great things for ourselves rather than seeking God and his righteousness.

God isn’t being harsh by pointing out the misguided motives; he goes on to remind Baruch that judgment is coming on all this world, so it’s not the place Baruch should put his hopes.

Our earthly ambitions are based on fleeting things that are passing away—all flesh is like grass and withers away (Isaiah 40:6–8). The great things we generally seek for ourselves are vain attempts to get something that will not last, but God wants us to receive real, lasting rewards.

When we begin to feel resentful of the path God’s put us on, may we ask ourselves, “Whose kingdom am I building?”

His kingdom is the only one that will last, and only he knows what steps we should take to help build it. We only know what we desire, but he knows what truly matters and will show us how to walk in the good works he’s prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10).

May we seek to be faithful rather than great and to receive the often unseen eternal rewards of the Lord.

The post JUNE 20-What Am I Building appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you too, outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

—Matthew 23:27–28

According to the law, the Pharisees were the height of moral goodness. They never stuck a toe out of line.

But Jesus came along and told us that someone can do all the right things and act all the right ways but be completely morally bankrupt.

The Bible says God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7), and Jesus says we recognize true believers by their fruit (Matthew 7:15–20).

It’s clear the scribes and Pharisees did not display the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, or gentleness. They did seem to have self–control, but that came primarily from self–serving ego and the position of power it gave them.

Cleaning the outside without the help of the Holy Spirit will never make the inside clean. Real goodness includes outward righteousness, but the focus is on the transformation of our hearts and minds as the source of that outward righteousness (Romans 12:2). It’s not simply a list of dos and don’ts we rigorously apply to ourselves and others; it comes from the power of Jesus’s sacrifice, the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, and our total submission to God.

If we’re only concerned with the outside, we’re really only interested in how we look rather than who we are. Jesus isn’t satisfied with the outside only; he wants the whole person—heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37).

The post JUNE 19-The Heart, Not the Show appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves.”

—Philippians 2:3

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit.” Nothing? While this feels impossible in our human state, it’s a goal to keep at the forefront of our minds.

It’s difficult, but it’s also freeing.

How many things do we do because we want to achieve something that will impress others? Because we want to feel successful? Or because we’re worried about keeping up with others?

Those things are all empty conceit and often come with a side of selfishness and pride. They’re primarily about our ego.

And we don’t have to do them. We feel so much pressure to live up to the world’s expectations. This is permission to stop.

There’s nothing we have to achieve to prove our worth to others. There’s nothing we have to achieve to prove our worth to ourselves.

When we check our motives for an activity, we can ask:

Jesus was never concerned with what others thought of him or making a name for himself, and we shouldn’t be either. Living like he did might not look successful to the world, but when we reach heaven, we want to be able to say, “My only ambition was not for myself but for you and your kingdom, Lord. I sought nothing for my reputation.”

As believers, living lives of humility in service to the kingdom of God is the greatest success.

The post JUNE 18-Humble Ambition appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

—John 5:7

This man had been ill for thirty–eight years, and he thought there was no hope. He had decided that the healing pool was his only answer and that he would never be able to get in it because he had no one to help him.

This miracle reveals that when Jesus shows up in our lives, he fills the lack left by others. It is right and Christlike for others to bear our burdens, come alongside us in our hurts, and work to right the wrongs they might’ve done to us, but that’s never guaranteed in this broken world. 

Parents, spouses, children, and friends may fail us, but ultimately, we can be made whole even if everyone else is letting us down. 

We’re not guaranteed all physical healing in these mortal bodies, but God is all we need for complete spiritual healing; no other person’s action or inaction can keep us from that. We don’t need a pool stirred by an angel or a man to put us in it. We need only follow Jesus’s instruction after he asks, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6).

Sadly, there are often areas in which we don’t want to be made well and are unwilling to obey—small sins and grievances, great sins and hurts, holding on to anger and unforgiveness, addictions, and the cares and pleasures of this world that so easily distract us from him.

May we desire to be made whole in all things, and may we trust the Lord to do it.

The post JUNE 17-He Asked Me First appeared first on C. E. White.

The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your refuge.”

—Nehemiah 8:10

Nehemiah said this after Ezra read from the law to the people as they wept and mourned, realizing they had abandoned God’s ways.

This is a wonderful reminder that when we are grieved and fearful because of our sin, ruminating in guilt or shame is not where we will find safety. We find it in our joy in him and his continual faithfulness to forgive when we confess and turn away from our sins (1 John 1:9).

2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” 

Godly grief and fear will lead to repentance and refuge, not despair and regret.

If we dwell on the guilt and shame, we’re still focusing on ourselves rather than on Christ.

The goal is to take our eyes off ourselves and our weakness altogether and put them on Christ and his salvation—the only true place we will find joy, healing, and redemption.

We need the joy of the Lord in order to remain obedient; we must understand his steadfast love and great mercy and believe that he wants what is good for us.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15), but if we doubt his heart and goodness toward us, we won’t trust him or his commandments or his love, and we will stray from his ways once more. 

Let’s replace our guilt and shame with joy in the Lord; that is where we find our refuge and strength.

The post JUNE 16-Joy After Tears appeared first on C. E. White.