In Nehemiah 8 Ezra read the Law of Moses. Verse 1 says that they gathered as one man. He read it from morning to midday. Verse 3 says, “…the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.”

Verse 8 says, “So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense and helped them to understand the reading.” In the backdrop of what they heard, “…the joy of the Lord is your strength” (verse 10).

Verse 12 says, “And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.” Then in chapter nine the people confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

Do you see the connection? It was the reading and understanding of God’s Law that brought conviction. So it is with us. Without the daily reading of God’s word, we will not understand or recognize how our flesh creeps in.

2 Timothy 2:15 is not just for pastors and teachers. It is for everyone. It says “Be diligent to present yourselves approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

As we systematically read our Bible, we are reading in context. Some of it is expressly for Israel, yet we can still make personal applications. Some promises are conditional, so we need to know what God’s conditions are.

I like to visit Isaiah 58 frequently. The chapter is about fasting. Verse 6 says, “Is this not the fast that I have chosen; to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?”

How does that apply to our lives? Let’s read further. Verse 10 in the Amplified says, “And if you pour out that with which you sustain your own life for the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in darkness, and your obscurity and gloom become like the noonday.”

Did you catch the condition? Reading God’s word, and spending our quiet time with the Lord in intimate communion fills the condition when He is our sustenance. Our heart’s will be filled with hope and encouragement for others. His word in us will literally be the power behind our conversations with others.

Here is another. Through Psalm 15 the Holy Spirit will bring conviction if we have ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart that is open. The question started with verse 1. Who can abide or dwell in God’s presence?

Verses 2-5 are great barometers for us. They are like a template for walking in the Spirit. Here are a few. Are you speaking truth in your heart, or are you dialoguing with lies, or negative thoughts against yourself, others, or your circumstances? (verse 2).

Are you walking in heart integrity? Is your message and messenger the same? Do you say that you have fellowship with the Lord, but there is no fruit in your life to glorify Him? Verse 4 says, “…he who swears to his own hurt and does not change.”

Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.” 1 John 1:6 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

Pride blocks discernment. Actually, pride blocks all things spiritual. James 4:6 says that God resists the proud. It takes a heart of humility to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. 

There is an interesting verse about the tribe of Issachar. 1 Chronicles 12:32 says, “Of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…”

Isaiah 33:6 says, “Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is His treasure.” Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding are components of discernment. Discernment is seeing through all FLAK to the true nature of a thing. Peter wrote about false prophets. Paul said that there is a gift of discerning of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10). 

The apostle John wrote about this also. 1 John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

We know, according to Paul’s warning to Timothy, that there are deceiving spirits. 1 Timothy 4:1 says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.”

Discernment is crucial in our progressive sanctification journey. Our compass should always point true north to God’s word. There we will find no lies, or any slight deviation from truth because it is eternal. Titus 1:2 says that God cannot lie.

All lies spring from satan. Jesus addressed this with Abraham’s descendants. John 8:44 says, “…does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

When a new teller is being trained, they are given real money. Why? There are myriad counterfeits. It would be pointless to show them a counterfeit and expect them to recognize one. Their senses are trained to discern by daily handling only true money.

Our senses are trained as we daily read God’s words of truth and walk in them. The second a lie comes, our sentinel of truth within rises up to warn us. Studying satan’s lies is futile.

When I was in grade school, I used a word that got my mouth washed out with soap. It was a word that I picked up at school. I innocently asked my mom to tell me all the dirty words so I wouldn’t get my mouth washed out with soap again.

David’s covered up lies reaped severe consequences. Many of his Psalms were written from that perspective. I love Psalm 25:4-5 which says, “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.” We can make them our prayer as well. When our heart is wallpapered with truth, then discernment will protect us.

Nehemiah’s discernment saved his life. How would you have interpreted this message? Nehemiah 6:10 says, “…Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.”

Verse 11 was Nehemiah’s response. “…Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” After that statement, he had discernment from the Lord. 

It says, “Then I perceived God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.” Think back to why the Lord spoke in parables.

Mark 4:12 says, “So that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing that that they may hear and not understand…” One of my morning prayers is this: Lord, help me to see beyond the visible, obvious, and the obstacles.” I am asking for discernment.

Discernment is crucial to know what is truth or a lie, good or best. Hebrews 5:14 says, “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern between good and evil.”

Discernment comes with practice. It is for spiritual meat eaters. It could be a gift that is imparted in the moment, but I’m talking about a daily discipline. Take note of the words, ‘who by reason of use’ because they are key.

We know that Scripture is discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

What blocks discernment? I like to use FLAK as an example. In the war times, the enemy would put out FLAK to keep the pilots from seeing their bomb target. Noise, distractions, disobedience, and refusing to acknowledge hidden sin are a few ways that our discernment is blocked.

Hebrews 4:12 gives us another. If we are not daily in God’s word, we will not change. We have to exercise this discipline to gain understanding, insight, personal application, and encouragement.

God’s word is like a surgeon’s scalpel. It is precise. It goes deep. As the verse says “…piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Another way that we learn discernment, is to spend time being quiet before the Lord. Pushing thoughts of ‘do it now’ or feeling impatient have to be calmed. We must come with no agenda. Our expectation is to be on the Lord, and not on something that He might do for us.

Remember Elijah. The Lord was not in the strong wind, the earthquake, nor the fire. 1 Kings 19:12 says, “…a still small voice.” Elijah was watching the ‘God show’ without being affected in his spirit. Yet, the moment he heard the still small voice, verse 13 says, “…he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the  entrance of the cave…”

Wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and discernment come from the Lord. The more that we walk in them, the more they will be there to direct our steps. “Surrounded By Angels” is a book that required the author to have discernment as he delivered Bibles behind enemy lines. Let us seek the Lord, through His word, and grow in the discipline required for keen discernment.

The Jews were very active in multiple gaps. Nehemiah 4:1 says that the enemy mocked them. Verse 2 is where I got the title for one of my earlier ebooks in 2016. It says, “…Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that have been burned?”

We often get ‘burned’ in our interpersonal relationships. They are prime targets for the enemy of our soul. He hates unity, love, family, and church community. We must remember that a look on a person’s face does not likely involve us. Have you ever been distracted when talking to someone? Have you ever entered a new conversation, yet still were carrying anger from a previous situation?

We can easily ‘misread’ facial expressions. This is especially true if we have been burned in a relationship. Our emotions are on our sleeve, as the saying goes. We are often overly sensitive.

The Jews had to work closely together. If you read chapter three, the words, ‘next to them’ is frequently used. Nehemiah 4:6 says, “So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”

Being active in a gap does not necessarily mean that the person knows that you are praying. They may not be open to your involvement. Yet, that is the beauty of God’s way. We can pray from afar. It is like a secret. The enemy has no access to stop our ambush.

Galatians 6:1 says, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” The Greek word ‘restore’ is like setting broken bones, or mending torn fishing nets.

Though we would normally consider this verse as a one on one involvement, we can expand it to be a secret prayer mission. You might see someone struggling with a habit that is counterintuitive to their spiritual growth; being tempted and yielding; downcast; or someone struggling with emotional pain.

We are the body of Christ. We are members individually and collectively. A weaker one is to be covered in prayer. Think back to Noah. He was lying naked in his tent ~ drunk. One son saw him and told his two brothers. What did the brothers do? It is the same principle when we pray secretly.

Genesis 9:23 says, “But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.”

Matthew 6:6 says, “…when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

We can interpret this verse several ways. Here is what came into my mind as I was typing this. The ‘open’ reward is seeing the Lord’s hand move on behalf (intercession) of the one you are praying for. The gap is being closed! That is a great illustration of what it means to be active in the gap.

Ezekiel 22:30 says that the Lord was looking for an intercessor. He defined one as, “…who would make a wall…on behalf of the land…” The implication is that the land could not do it. On behalf means as a representative of someone or something.

A good way to understand this is through Romans 8:26. It says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

A gap can start with a little opening. In the OT vineyards, they would put a hedge around them for protection. It could be plants or rocks. A small animal would dig a hole. A larger animal would increase the hole until there was a gap.

Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines,  for our vines have tender grapes.” What might little foxes be in our lives? Unbelief, doubt, fear, worry, bitterness, anger, etc. 

Little niggling thoughts of worry can work up into full blown fear that paralyzes. Unbelief can creep in and harden our heart. Unresolved issues can magnify out of proportion. I think you get the idea.

Lack of diligence to guard our heart will also create a gap. Here is an example. Proverbs 24:30-31 says, “I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; and there is was, all overgrown with thorns; its surface was covered with nettles; its stone wall was broken down.”:

Fiery dart lies that we allow to penetrate also make a gap. All lies are warring against our faith. Any thought against yourself or another is a fiery dart. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

We know from Psalm 139:17 that David called God’s thoughts toward us as precious. Psalm 40:5, also written by David, says, “…Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.”

When our thoughts do not align with God’s thoughts the little hole begins. Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…” An evil thought is always negative. 

Our example is the Lord. He did not sin even in His thoughts. His heart was pure and undefiled. We are to walk as He did. That means that we have to capture any thought that does not agree with God’s word and bring it down. Whack it to pieces with your sword of the spirit (Hebrews 4:12).

Accountability is essential in our progressive sanctification. If you are struggling in any area, ask someone to intercede for you. Their intercession will become a wall of protection as you begin to close the gap through truth. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your gaps made by the little foxes that are knocking off the fruit that would glorify the Lord.

Renouncing the lie and affirming the truth, are the beginning tools needed to close a gap made through our sinful thought patterns. All actions are first thoughts. The battlefield is our mind. We have the mind of Christ. We are no longer under the rulership of satan. Yet, unless we bring truth into our lives (live in it experientially), we will remain captive through our disobedience.

The enemy of our soul hates it when the gaps he made are detected, and the work has begun to close those gaps. We see this in Nehemiah 4:7 when their enemies heard what they were doing. It says, “…heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, they became very angry.”

What are gaps? They are demonic infiltrations to control. Isaiah 7:6 says, “Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them…”

Is it any different in our day? No. We have gaps in our nation. The Lord called for intercessors back in Israel’s day. He is still calling for intercessors. Ezekiel 22:30 says, “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”

Let me take you back to chapter 8. The Lord showed Ezekiel a hole in the wall. He instructed him to dig into the wall where he found a door. Verse 9 says, “…Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.” In God’s temple they were worshipping the sun and other abominations.

You can read the chapter for yourself. In Ezekiel 9 the Lord had a man do his work. Verse 2 says that he was clothed in linen and had a writer’s inkhorn at his side. Verse 4 says, “…put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over the abominations that are done within it.” Verse 6 says, “…do not come near anyone on whom is the mark…” Everyone else was killed, “…So they began with the elders who were before the temple.” In chapter 10 the glory of the Lord departed.

I’m sure you have had this happen to you, or you know of others. They gain great victory. The gaps are beginning to close, and then the enemy comes in to trouble them. Fiery darts fly left and right. Their minds are attacked with a barrage of lies.

The work of an intercessor is never done. The Lord chooses us, mere humans, to do His work. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

The word ‘mighty’ in Hebrew is better understood through the words ‘isolated’ or ‘inaccessible.’ The Lord shows us the hidden that He desires to show us, so that we are able to pray more effectively.

Let’s go back to the word ‘paga’ that I wrote about weeks ago. It means that the Lord intercepts our thought process to impart information to utilize in our intercession. We do not know, but He does and reveals them to us for strategic warfare.

Our part is to be attentive. The Jews who were rebuilding the wall had to keep their weapon in one hand and their tools in the other. The enemy was determined they would not do the work that the Lord had called them to do.

It is the same with us. We are His instruments. He uses our readiness to set up ambushes through prayer. There is nothing like concerted prayer. He calls His intercessors from all over, and unites us with His purpose, in the moment of the call. Let us be attentive and ready when our paga comes.

Nehemiah was given great favor by the king he served. Nehemiah explained why he was sad. Nehemiah 2:4 says, “Then the king said to me, What do you request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.” Nehemiah laid out his needs before the king.

Verse 8 says, “…And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.” Immediately opposition arose. Verse 10 says of the governors, “…they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to see the well-being of the children of Israel.”

Throughout the book of Nehemiah we read that no matter what was happening, Nehemiah’s character never faltered. He remained steadfast and immoveable in the face each opposition.

The governors heard about the plan to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Verse 19 says, “…they laughed at us and despised us…” Nehemiah made a faith declaration in verse 20. He said, “…The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”

What is our heritage? Isaiah 54:17 says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me, says the Lord.”

Can you hear the echo from the backdrop of our nation? We must walk in 1 Corinthians 15:58. It says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

We have a secret weapon. We have a King who will give us every request that is in accord with His will. There are good works He has preordained, before the beginning of time, that are for us to walk in.

Think back to the enemy in Jesus’ day. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 says, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

The enemy of our soul does not know what God has planned and will execute for this nation that He founded. Our part is to prepare our hearts to walk in what He has called us to walk in.

When we are opposed, 1 Peter 5:9 is our marching orders. It says, “Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” 

We must continually sink the roots of our faith deeply into God’s word. He cannot lie. His promises are based on Who He is at all times. Circumstances cannot change His purposes. His way was charted before He created this earth for man to dwell on.

I encourage you to meditate on 2 Chronicles 29:36. It says, “Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly.” Let us prepare our heart to obey, no matter what the Lord calls us to do. Suddenly means that we have no time to vacillate. We must always be walking in faith that is steadfast and immoveable. May we be ready when His suddenly comes.

I’m reading the book of Nehemiah right now. Chapter two verse two is so descriptive. The king immediately picked up on something. Let’s read his question to his trusted servant. The verse says, “…Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart…”

Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer. Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer. The cupbearer was responsible for selecting and serving the king’s wine. He had to taste it first to make sure that it was not poisoned. He also was a trusted companion. 

Let’s go back and see why Nehemiah was so sad. Verse 3 was the report given to Nehemiah. “…The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”

Verse 4 says that he mourned and wept for many days. His grief caused him to pour out his heart before the Lord. Nehemiah 2:1 says that he had never been sad before the king before. The king instantly recognized Nehemiah’s heart was in deep sorrow.

Here is another tell-tale facial expression that revealed the heart of another king. King Nebuchadnezzar had a huge idol constructed. His orders were for everyone to bow down and worship it. Sadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused. Daniel 3:19 says, “then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed…” The king commanded that the three Hebrew men be thrown into the fiery furnace ~ heated seven times hotter.

The Lord appeared with them in the fire. Can you just imagine what the king’s face looked like then? According to verse 27, the fire had not touched them, their hair was not singed, and the smell of fire was not on them. Amazing because they were bound in their coats, trousers, turbans, and other garments. Verse 28 was his astonished announcement. “…Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servant who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own.”

There is one more account I want to remind you of. When Stephen was being stoned, what did his face say to his persecutors? Picture Acts 7:54. It says, “…they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. Stephen’s mirror neurons did not pick up on that because his gaze was on the Lord. What a lesson for us! Verse 55 says, “but he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God!”

Here is my take away. No matter how folks are reacting to us in their flesh, we do not have to react. The essential truth is to not react in our flesh, but to come in the opposite spirit. God gives grace to the humble. When someone is angry, we must humble our heart, keep our focus on the Lord, and lean hard on His grace.

Here is another example of coming in the opposite spirit. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” A harsh word is a fleshly reaction. A soft answer comes from a heart that trusts, and is leaning hard on God’s grace to respond and not react. 

Fleshly reactions reveal a heart of pride, arrogance, and a spirit of independence. We can only respond with a gracious attitude and gracious words when our heart’s gaze is on the Lord. Hebrews 11:26 Amplified says of Moses, “…for he never flinched but held staunchly to his purpose and endured steadfastly as one who gazed on Him Who is invisible.”

Psalm 139:14 says, “…I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” We have mirror neurons in our brain. I learned about them when I had the last brain injury and could not draw matching sides to my vases. Several years later, the sides may look even to me, but my artist friends have to help me correct one side because I can’t discern the difference.

I asked my doctor about them. She said that when she goes to check out at the grocery store, she looks at the checkers. She chooses the one who is the most cheerful and engaging. Why? She doesn’t want her mirror neurons to pick up on an angry checker.

Here is something I copied from google. Mirror neurons respond both when perceiving an action and while executing an action. They provide a direct internal experience of another person’s actions or emotions.

Matthew 6:22-23 says, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness….”

Have you ever seen the eyes of an angry person, or someone that is really sad? Their eyes are a reflection of their heart. They don’t have to say a word, because their eyes are revealing something hidden.

Our body language reflects our inner being. I have seen this many times when I am talking to someone about the Lord. When they squint their eyes, I know that I’ve lost them because their unbelief has shut down their heart.

Proverbs 6:12-14 was king Solomon’s God-given wisdom. Look for clues through body language. Read these words carefully and you will see body language that exposes a deceptive heart.

It says, “A worthless person, a wicked man walks with a perverse mouth; he winks with his eyes, he shuffles his feet, he points with his fingers. Perversity is in his heart, he devises evil continually, he sows discord.”

Here is another tell-tale body language of one who walks in hidden sin or shame. They will not look at your eyes as they talk to you. They usually look down at their feet or anywhere but your eyes. Wise words, especially for employers or a father with a prospective son in law.

What is all this saying? Hebrews 1:3 is Jesus’ example of how we are to walk. It says, “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

The words ‘express image’ in Greek is charakter. What does that remind you of? Our English word character. It means an exact copy or representation. It is like an engraving, or something stamped or imprinted.

I encourage you to ask yourself this question: Do my eyes reveal a heart that is peaceful and confident because of my relationship with the Lord? We can say one thing and act another. Is our message and messenger the same?

I love Franklin Graham’s statement about his father. He said that his dad was the same in the pulpit as he was at home. Character is what we do behind closed doors when no one else is watching.

What mirror neurons are expressed through your eyes or countenance? Psalm 34:5 says, “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.” We mirror our sinful flesh to others, or our submissive heart to the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:20 called us ambassadors for Christ. May we reflect Him in every aspect of our lives.

We are to see ourselves through the mirror of God’s word. Do you see yourself as God sees you? David did. Psalm 139:17-18 says, “How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with You.” I like to picture my palm full of sand and the impossibility of counting how many grains.

Isaiah 49:15 says that He will never forget us. Verse 16 says, “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” Have you ever put up emotional walls to keep others out? They are walls built with the figments of our mind. They are not real. They are erroneously built in pride as self-protective measures. They are powerless facades. Every wall and the emotional pain behind them are fully known by Him.

They are works of darkness that suppress the truth. They block our fellowship with the Lord. 1 John 1:6 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” 1 John 2:4 says, “He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” Strong words. They clearly expose the lies of the enemy that we are walking in.

I like to think of this verse in Song of Solomon 2:9, in the terms of the Lord seeing everything. This is how I personally read it. I put the Lord into the verse, “My Beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, He stands behind our wall; He is looking in through the windows, gazing through the lattice.”

Emotional walls can be identified through subjects we skirt around or avoid all together. The phrase, “Don’t go there with me” is an example. I’m sure you can think of others that apply in your own life. Walls can also be built through inner vows, such as “I will never…” You can add your own words. Remember that vows are binding. We may think that we are vowing to ourselves. Since we belong to the Lord, we are vowing to Him. Read Ecclesiastes 5:4-5.

Let’s look a moment into the mirror of God’s word. Psalm 119:73 says “Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn Your commandments.” Psalm 139:14 says, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows right well.” Are you thankful for the way the Lord has made you?

I marvel at Jeremiah 1:5 which says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you…” Sanctified means to set apart. What did He set us apart for? Isaiah 43:7 says, “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” In the seed of our conception, God’s plan and purpose for our life was imprinted.

Everything that the Lord created is designed to glorify Him. You might want to refresh your memory with Psalm 148. It begins with “Praise the Lord!” and ends with the same. Bookend declarations.

James 1:23-25 are mirror verses. One who only hears the word but never makes a personal application is like one who looks in the mirror and immediately forgets. Verse 25 is our mandate. It says, “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” The hearer is walking in disobedience. The Lord withholds the blessings designed to be theirs.

Psalm 19:14 ended with, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” When we bring God’s word into our heart it will purify our thoughts and our words. It is essential in our progressive sanctification, so that we might mirror His image to others.