The Perfect Reflection

This morning I looked for my friend but he wasn’t there. Yesterday he was there at 5:07 AM peeking into our bedroom. He was bright and full of light, straining to see through our large tree’s branches and he looked right in our bedroom window shining all over the place. My friend is the Moon, an amazing creation. ( I couldn't get a photo - this one is borrowed)

Someone a long time ago told me the best way to prevent pride from taking over in your life is to reflect the glory and praise given to you. When someone raves on what you have done or pours praise unto you in an awkward way (even to hurt you) – find something or someone that you can pass the words over to. Let me illustrate this.

At one moment I had personally completed a very difficult task that had taken hours to prepare for and an intense time to deliver. The praise offered was not well balanced in that it gushed from the others around me. Quickly realizing my own discomfort I spoke saying, “Well if it wasn’t for these folks moving here... It could never have been done.” Instead of relishing in the praise and stepping into a danger area where pride can kill what happened, it relieved my discomfort by sending the praise their way – reflecting it to the others.

I have an artistic friend that is doing very well. When I told him that I was impressed with the work that he has done and the quality that he is able to put out, his comment was along the same line. He said sincerely, “If it wasn’t for my wife and the way that she loves me, it could never happen. When she came into my life the whole world changed and so did my work. She is amazing!” I had commented on his art work and he turned my thoughts to an amazing woman – who I had no idea was even a factor.

My friend the Moon is like that – the only Glory that shines from it… is that of the Sun. In and of itself, the Moon is pretty much a round lump of rock with no purpose. With its brilliance of shining it lights a night or greets us in the morning. It is beautiful as it perches with such grace in our sky.

There is a powerful example of the reflecting of Praise in the Psalms over and over again. The author places God in this position of the source of all good things. I love the way that he turns his blessings into words that point to God.

As I ponder this thought today I realize that I am blessed in so many ways. I have so much that I don’t know what to do with it all. I can do so much that it is overwhelming to sense this freedom. And yet – it is all because of what God has done. It is all because of my God and his wonderful love. Wow! Even when I get down this thought reaches through the fog and he loves me on and on. Double Wow!

I have a sense this morning that one or two of you are in need to prayer right at this moment. I want to encourage you to hold on. Let the wonder of God reflect from your life today and simply shine… whether you feel to or not. You are a perfect reflection of al that God has done. God bless you richly.

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
Psalm 8
A psalm of David.
1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!