A Lenten Journey: Climbing to Calvary

Some places, moments and people in my life where I see the glory of God.

What about you?

2 Corinthians 3:7-18, New Living Translation

The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

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“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.”

We can SEE it.

And we can REFLECT it.

The glory of the Lord is all around us, and it shines out of us – if we open our hearts to see, to receive, and to release it.

My goodness gracious sakes alive.

That is fantastic.

Amazing.

Wondrous.

And just the teensiest bit overwhelming on some days.

Usually on the days when I’ve closed my eyes,

when I cannot see the glory,

when I’ve forgotten about the glory,

when I try to make it on my own steam,

forgetting to stop.look.listen.rejoice.

So, look through some old photos of your own.

Walk in your neighborhood.

Look at your family, especially those older saints you know.

Or the tiny ones.

And celebrate the glory around you.

And in you, too.

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The veil is gone because of you, Jesus. Thank you. Remind us, even before our feet hit the floor each day, to use the ‘eyes of our eyes’ to see your glory, the ‘ears of our ears’ to hear your glory. And then empower us to live it, from one minute to the next, one task to the next, one person to the next. Because you’re there – waiting for us to notice.