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 in them and you in me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that you sent me, and you loved them, just as you loved me.”

—John 17:23

Jesus prayed for unity for his followers. Why? “So that the world may know that you sent me, and you loved them, just as you loved me.”

When we are living together in unity as the body of Christ, it’s evidence to the world that Jesus is the Savior and proof of God’s love for the world.

And when we’re not living and working together in unity, people aren’t seeing the love of Christ; it doesn’t look like we’re working for the Lord.

I met a woman who said she believes in God, but she doesn’t like church people. She’d known a family who’d been active in a church their whole lives. Their little boy got cancer, and the church did almost nothing, but a local bar raised enough to cover his entire treatment. The bottom line: she didn’t see Christians loving each other.

Learning how to live and work together as one body matters more than we can know. As it says in 1 Corinthians 12:26, “If one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.”

We need each other, and the world notices if their Christian friends are surrounded by love from other believers or if they’re left to fend for themselves, isolated and lonely.

Living as one body doesn’t happen by accident. It’s something we have to work at. We have to look for needs and ways to fill them. Who in our local church body is hurting today? How can we help?

The post MAY 6-So the World May Know 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

“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.”

—2 Corinthians 4:16

Our bodies on this earth are drawing nearer death every minute we’re alive; the “decaying”—or “wasting away” as some versions say—only becomes noticeable as we age or get ill, but it’s happening all the time.

But the minute we become a Christian, our inner person begins to be renewed spiritually.

We must choose to accept that the outer, bodily man is wasting away and change our focus from flesh to spirit. Otherwise, the fear of that change and the fear of death may take away the peace that Christ gave to believers when he conquered death; it will take our focus away from the things above and put them back on things below (Colossians 3:2).

As believers, our goals should constantly become less about this temporary outer tent of a body and more about the eternal inner self.

The worldly man is always growing further away from the possibility of attaining new earthly goals, becoming more infirm with the passing years. His time grows shorter every minute he’s alive.

But the faithful Christian is growing nearer his highest goal of perfect union with Christ every minute until the very moment of his death.

We are never without purpose despite the growing limitations that come with age.

If our outer person is wasting away in failing health or unmet desires and goals, we can take heart, knowing that the inner person is being renewed day by day. We are forever growing closer and closer to our ultimate aim of Christ and his kingdom.

The post MAY 5-Strength in the Fading 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

“‘I also swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became mine,’ declares the Lord God.”

—Ezekiel 16:8

The Lord loves us far more than the most faithful spouse loves his wife or her husband. We are his, and he loves us perfectly.

Have you ever seen the sorrow brought about when the love of one spouse grows cold and they’ve begun seeking satisfaction elsewhere? Whether it’s to infidelity, hobbies, work, friends, or children, the committed spouse feels the sharp knife of sadness and betrayal at the wedge now between them.

They may even become angry and jealous toward the thing that’s taken their place. The Lord is the same. When our love strays and we begin seeking satisfaction elsewhere, he is jealous for us, angry at the thing that has stolen our affection, and he mourns the distance between us.

Later in this chapter, it says, “But you trusted in your beauty” (Ezekiel 16:15). Instead of trusting the Lord with our lives and remaining faithful to him, we too often begin trusting in our own innate abilities—the very things he gave us—to gain short–term fulfillment. We stray from the real love, intimate relationship, and foundation we have in him to the false love of this world and the sinking sand of our own abilities.

This grieves him, as it would grieve a person whose spouse prefers the fake, selfish satisfaction of pornography to the act of real, mutually selfless love with them.

Where are we trading the true love of God for the false love of this world? Let us put the temporary pleasure aside and build the lasting satisfaction that comes in a relationship built on the continual commitment that we are his.

The post MAY 4-Faithful Still 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

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God.”  

—1 Corinthians 10:31

Eating and drinking are two of the most basic human activities, so if we can eat or drink to the glory of God then everything we put our hands to every second of every day can be to his glory.

This helps us look at our daily tasks in a new light and infuses even the most menial tasks with purpose. 

Whether it’s doing the dishes, drafting a report for work, calling a friend back, paying bills, or whittling down that to–do list, all our actions can be infused with great purpose and done to the glory of God . . . or not. 

This stems from the position of our hearts, attitudes, motives, and desires. Most of us—if we’re paying attention and being honest—can clearly see if we’re doing a task to God’s glory.

If we aren’t, it’s not necessarily a simple thing to correct. We have a lifetime of habits formed around how we feel about paperwork, vacuuming, or mowing the lawn—any task that seems unimportant or unenjoyable. But we can begin to change those attitudes by:

Chances are that by doing things that seem bothersome and insignificant, we’re loving others, showing people the integrity and work ethic formed by our relationship with God, and performing chores that provide for and improve our lives and the lives of those who depend on us.

The day–to–day things are not holding us back from the things of God. 

They are all things of God.

The post MAY 3-Even the Dishes 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

“What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts?”

—James 4:1 

Wanting something and not getting it—or even simply fearing that we won’t get it—is the source not only of quarrels and tensions with those around us but also of many of our inner struggles and temptations.

It’s good to perform a self–check when we’re feeling out of sorts, dissatisfied, and fearful.

There are some “wants” we should fight for—justice, respect, love, etc. But even this fighting should have Christ overlayed. It should never be from selfishness, fear, or fleshly pleasure but always trusting God and pursuing truth.

Instead of reacting angrily or manipulating circumstances to get what we want, let’s hold our desires loosely and offer them up to God, setting our minds on things above rather than things on this earth (Colossians 3:2).

Keeping the desires of our flesh from ruling over us and trusting God with them should be part of our behavior as Christians.

This will put us at peace within ourselves and with other people as far as it depends on us (Romans 12:18), and it will leave us ready to receive God’s guidance, even when that guidance goes against our desires.

The post MAY 2- Waging Peace Within 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

“But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.”

—Jeremiah 18:4

Many of us look at ourselves and think we’re such a mess that it’s too late for God to use us and too late for anything good to come of our lives. We’ve been wounded too many times, made too many mistakes, and haven’t lived up to our potential.

But nothing is too late for God. Our lives might be a mess with seemingly no purpose, but we can come to him broken and cracked.

He is the potter who formed us with intention and abilities we were designed for (Isaiah 49:5; Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 25:15; Psalm 139). If we’re broken, our designer and maker can repair us and reshape us back into another vessel that is once again whole and purposeful.

It might hurt. Our lives might look worse before they look better. The process may feel like destruction rather than healing. It will take time to put us back together, mend our cracks, and fire us in the kiln to transform us into a whole vessel once again.

Afterward, we may not look the same on the outside, but we will be complete and purposeful.

If we put ourselves in the Potter’s hand and submit to his care, he is faithful to complete any work he begins in us (Philippians 1:6). He knows the exact length of time and temperature we must stay in the fire in order to come out whole.

There’s no such thing as too late. The sooner we allow ourselves to be remade, the sooner our purpose is restored.

The post MAY 1-Broken, But Becoming 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

“But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts; but whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”

—2 Corinthians 3:14–16

We often look at the world around us and try to figure out how to “lift the veil” that divides unbelievers from salvation. 

Too often, I’m afraid we settle on something other than Christ. We try to lift the veil using exciting worship services or cultural relevance. We think it depends on our enticing words, our brilliant presentation, and our masterful debate tactics about the currently trending topics.

But Paul says, “I determined to know nothing among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). He says his speech and preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom lest the hearers’ faith should stand in the wisdom of men rather than in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4–5). 

It’s not wrong to craft our words or to speak well—indeed, we’re instructed to grow in knowledge (Colossians 1:9–10) and teach skillfully (2 Timothy 2:24)—but if our foundation relies on our worldly tactics and wisdom rather than on knowing and speaking of Jesus Christ and his salvation, we may as well stay silent. All other considerations are secondary. 

The veil is lifted only in Christ when the hearers turn to him. No appeal, however winsome, will enact true change if it is not infused with Christ.

The post APRIL 30-Only Christ Lifts the Veil 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

“But whoever has worldly goods and sees his brother or sister in need, and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God remain in him? Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth and will set our heart at ease before him.”

—1 John 3:17–19 

If the world’s cry against us is that we speak words of love but never act on it, they are right to reprimand. If we say we love but no one around us can point to anything loving in us, we are lying to ourselves and to others (1 John 4:20).

“By this,” it says, we will know if our own hearts are of the truth.

If we never actively love those around us by laying down our own lives (1 John 3:16), let’s come before the Lord in prayer and confession and ask him to change our hearts as we begin to work with intention to change our deeds.

Laying down our lives means giving something up that is our own (John 15:12–13)—if it’s worldly goods we can bless others with, we will give there. But we could fill in that blank with other things as well. “But whoever has . . . ” time, a listening ear, a day to watch someone’s children, the skills to repair a car, kind words instead of harsh ones, or anything else “ . . . and sees his brother or sister in need, and closes his heart, how does the love of God remain in him?”

Are our hearts at ease before the Lord, knowing that we are loving not only in word, but in deed and in truth?

The post APRIL 29-Love That Does 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

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”

—John 10:10

I’ve heard people say, “God isn’t blessing it, so it must not be the right thing.”

What they usually mean is, “This is hard, and I’ve hit a lot of obstacles, so it must not be God’s plan.”

But when I look at the stories in the Bible, I don’t see evidence that the right path is always easy.

The Bible is full of people directly following God’s instruction and being met with hardship, rejection, pain, and even death. Doing the right thing while following God often leads to direct opposition from those doing the wrong thing while enslaved to the devil.

The path is hard because there is an enemy trying to thwart God’s plan and turn people away from faith, but God uses what is meant for evil and works it to good for those who love him (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28).

There will be battles, but there’s a difference in how we carry the difficulty when we’re walking with the Lord; we lay it on him. We don’t have to carry it alone. We choose to deny ourselves and serve him faithfully through it even when we have no power over the circumstances. We can trust him with the outcome.

That marriage, career, or calling isn’t necessarily wrong just because it’s hard. They may be fraught with frustration and difficulty, but the Bible makes it clear that we will struggle in this life and that our faith will be tested.

God doesn’t promise us easy, but he does promise to be with us, and we know he has the ultimate victory as we follow him into eternity.

The post APRIL 28-Faith in the Fire 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

“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.”

—Psalm 54:4

The omniscient, omnipotent God who never sleeps (Psalm 121:4–5) and cannot lie (Numbers 23:19) is our helper. 

The Lord who endured undeserved torture, sacrificed himself for us out of his great love, and overcame death by resurrecting after three days is the one who sustains us. 

The Creator of all who set the boundaries of the sea (Psalm 33:6–7) cares about everything in our lives from the steps we take (Psalm 37:23–26) to the number of hairs on our head (Luke 12:7). 

The Lord whose streams of living water never fail even in the scorched places (Isaiah 58:11) and who owns all the beasts of the field and the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:9–10) is our portion and the provider of our daily bread.

Nothing is too hard for him (Genesis 18:14); there is no greater help. When all seems against us and there’s no human way out, we don’t have to despair. All our battles are the Lord’s (1 Samuel 17:47). He commands armies we cannot see (2 Kings 6:15–17). We do not need to have the most “horses and chariots” on our side (Psalm 20:7).

We can rest in the palm of his hand (Isaiah 49:16) and be gathered under his wings (Psalm 91:4). We can be strong and courageous even in insurmountable odds, knowing that he’ll never leave nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

When we’re hopeless and worn, tired and ready to give up, we can continue to walk faithfully forward and trust the Lord to fight for us (Exodus 14:14).

The post APRIL 27-Held by the Almighty appeared first on C. E. White.