Ever envy those guys in the Old Testament who saw all the miracles? I’m thinking of Moses, who got to be smack-dab in the middle of more than a few of them, plus He actually saw God... or, I should say, the back of God. It says that in Exodus 33:23. And later on, it explains that when Moses came down from the mountain with his face all aglow from the glory of God, he had to wear a veil until it faded away.
Now, although it must have been quite something to go walking around like a living light bulb, I don’t think that’s cause to envy Moses. Because the good news is that we Christians are not just lightbulbs... we are lighthouses.
You see, the glory on the face of Moses was ever decreasing. It was fading. But ours is increasing. Listen: it says in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that we, with unveiled faces, all reflect the Lord’s glory and we are being transformed into His likeness (now here it comes) with ever-increasing glory as we behold Him.
I love that part about ever-increasing. Unlike Moses, we do not see the back of God, we behold Him about as head-on as you can get, like it says in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made us understand that it is the brightness of his glory that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.” It’s not the back of God we see, it’s face-front, albeit through a glass darkly. And the glory is not diminishing, like it was in the case of Moses, it’s increasing. The Lord doesn’t live at fingertip’s length in the Word of God, He lives literally within us.
What’s more, God does not want us to veil such splendor. No, He wants us to shine. “You are the light of the world.” You lighthouse out there, you are the light of the world! No veils for us believers. No covering up His glory. This is what I love about Jesus — He insists that we shine for Him as we light up our neighborhoods in our communities and our churches and our world.
I tell you, people in the Old Testament may have witnessed marvelous miracles firsthand, but we Christians are walking miracles. Who needs a veil... who wants a veil?! Moses was commanded to hide his shine... we are commanded to let it shine. So, today, whatever is veiling or hiding or covering up the work of God in your life, take it off, unmask anything that keeps the light of the world from lighting up your face. Cause Moses ain’t got nothin’ on you.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 93176
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