Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 16:1-7; Zephaniah 3:17

“What’s wrong, sis?” Hudson asked his little sister, Clara, as she stumbled in the front door.

Clara plopped down on the couch beside her brother. Leaning against him, Clara began to cry.

“Tell me what’s going on,” Hudson said as he put down his chemistry books and wrapped his arms around Clara.

She tried to catch her breath. “On the way home from the bus stop, I was walking with Nicole. We were almost to our street, but then this boy I don’t know yelled at me.”

“What did he say?” Hudson asked.

“He screamed out, ‘Hey—girl in the blue sweater. You’re ugly!’” Clara buried her face in Hudson’s chest as tears began leaking from her eyes.

“Oh, Clara,” Hudson said. “I’m so sorry that happened. That boy was wrong.”

After Clara had let her tears out, Hudson stood up. Then he walked Clara toward the mirror that hung on the living room wall. Pointing, Hudson asked, “See that?”

Clara shrugged.

“That girl looking back at you is a child of God,” Hudson said. “You know that, right?”

Clara nodded.

“You’ve put your trust in Jesus to be your Savior and pay for your sins, right?” Hudson asked. “Well, that means you are a child of God!”

Hudson sounded so enthusiastic Clara couldn’t help but smile.

“Wait! There’s more!” Hudson grinned. “God created you in His image and then brought you into His kingdom when you put your faith in His Son. And you know what? People may focus on outside things, like clothes or fancy houses or jobs that seem big and important, but Jesus—who made our bodies and promises to raise everyone who knows Him from the dead someday—sees all of us, including our hearts. And you know what that means, right?”

“What?” Clara asked.

“It means Jesus looks at you and likes what He sees. He loves how He created your body, and when He looks at your heart, He rejoices that you know Him as your Savior.”

Clara wiped the tears from her cheeks and then smiled at her reflection in the mirror. The boy’s mean words still stung, but they seemed less important when Clara imagined God smiling over her.

-Allison Wilson Lee

How About You?

Did you know God created you and loves what He made? He loves us so much He came to earth to live among us, die, and rise again so that all who put their trust in Him will one day rise again too—free from sin and brokenness. God sees all of you, from your body to the deepest thoughts of your heart. Even when people say mean things to you, Jesus’s love for you never fails.

Today’s Key Verse: 1 Samuel 16:7 The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

God sees all of you