Forty Days of Praise - One Who Transforms
Thursday, April 23
One Who Transforms
Heartbeat of God: p.214
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18
The Coronavirus crisis has forced us all to change. Things are literally transforming before our eyes. We are now living a “new normal.” I wonder if there is a “new normal” in the spiritual realm as well? Our spotlight scripture says that as we focus on Jesus, we are transformed from “glory to glory” into the image of Christ. The NIV version says, “...transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory.” God’s transformation for us involves molding us to becoming more like Jesus.
When Moses received the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai, he was transformed. He had been so close to God that he had absorbed some of the glory of God. It reflected in his face, so from then on, he had to wear a veil over his face. I think Paul may have been thinking about this when he wrote “but we all, with unveiled face, beholding... the glory of the Lord.” In another passage, I Corinthians 13:12, Paul says, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face...” I used to think that he was referring to when we get to heaven and see God clearly. But I know now that we can start seeing God as He is while we are still here on earth. When God starts transforming us “from glory to glory,” we begin to experience God more deeply, more fully. We begin understanding who He is and get to truly know Him.
But what exactly is a “glory”? Glory is a new, higher level of experiencing God, of being “one” with Him. Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.” Remember in John 17 Jesus prayed for His disciples (and each of us) to be “one” with Him and the Father. Every time we experience God more deeply, whether through trial or praise, or sense His Spirit more fully, we move to the next “glory” level. As we experience each new glory level, we are being transformed even more into the likeness of Jesus.
God is the Transformer! He doesn’t want us stuck where we are in sin or defeat, wallowing in self-pity, angry or afraid that the best of life is passing us by. He wants to transform us so that we can be victorious! He saved us to be “more than conquerors” over every obstacle in our life. Each “glory” that we experience is a new step along our journey of transformation. When we pray and connect with God within our deepest self, we open ourselves up to move to the next “glory.” When we worship with others and we feel God lifting us up in the Spirit—that’s another “glory”! When we experience these glories, these moments of oneness with God, we slowly but surely become more and more like Jesus. Sisters, I pray that our life’s goal is to keep aligning with His Word every day so that God, our Transformer, can transform us into the image of Christ.
For further reading: Exodus 24:12-18, 31:18, 34:27-35; John 17: 11, 20-21; Romans 8:37; Jeremiah 18:6; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 61:3; Hebrews 12:2; Galatians 2:20
Dear Lord, You are the Transformer! You transform our weaknesses into strengths, our inabilities into capabilities, our desires into true purpose. Every time we reach out to You, You lift us up out of the mire we are in and shift us up to the next glory where You teach us what we need to become more like Jesus. God, let the life of every Soul Sister be a series of “ever-increasing glories” so that we can fulfill the purpose You have given us. In Jesus’ Name and for the Father’s glory I pray, Amen.
