An African tribal princess looked in a mirror... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
James 1:23.24

An African tribal princess looked in a mirror for the first time in her life. What she saw made her so furious that she smashed the mirror in a thousand pieces. She simply did not believe that she looked so ugly as the mirror showed her to be.

In today's verses from the Bible the Word of God is compared with a mirror. The Word of God unveils not our looks but what we are really like as persons. It reflects our intrinsic being rather than our external appearance. When we read the Bible, we realise how God sees us,

We may well have a high opinion of ourselves. Perhaps we rely on the compliments our fellowmen pay us. When we then discover how God regards us, we are appalled: "We ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another" (Titus 3:3).

How do we react to such a verdict? Do we accept that God is telling the truth in declaring us to be sinners? The Bible shows us not only our hideous, lost state, but then also something quite surprising: God does not despise us for all that. He wishes to grant us His peace, His salvation and His justification, if we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Looking in this "mirror" may shock us, but we should not leave things at that. Let us rather accept God's offer and receive Jesus Christ into our life!

Today's reading: Leviticus 17:1-16 · Psalm 66:1-7