Day 27

“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them.” — Exodus 34:29-31

For the children of Israel in the desert, the manifestation of the glory of God was always seen outside the camp. Have you noticed that the same can be true in our lives today? When we look honestly into our hearts, we see its corruption, but when others look at us, they may see the glory.

This will be true in our churches and in almost any Christian ministry. From the inside we see the flesh at war with the Spirit, and we may become discouraged by the battle. But if God is included, people on the outside will see His glory! And even though our hearts may wander, God will use us.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai the second time with the new tablets containing the law of God in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant. But the first time, finding the people worshipping a golden calf, Moses, in his anger had smashed the tablets to the ground. He would not have felt good about that, but despite whatever discouragement and guilt he knew was in his heart, the people still saw the glory of God in his face. 2 Corinthians 3:7 says, “Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses, because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?”

People will see God in us too, even though we don’t see that in ourselves. The glory is visible outside the camp of our hearts, even in times when we sense it the least. That will be God’s doing, so take no credit!

God made us in His image. He gave the law to reveal what that image is. The law exposes our failure and leaves us condemned, but Jesus came to cleanse us of our guilt and sin, so that He might come and live His life in us. Only then can He fulfill the law in us. Only then can we be the people we were created to be and only then will the glory be seen outside the camp!

Prayer: Dear Lord, I want to reflect your image and be the person you created me to be. It is encouraging to know that even when I may feel discouraged, you continue your good work in me, so that others see it. thank you, Lord.

To reflect upon: Can I think of a time when I felt spiritually discouraged and someone encouraged me with evidence they’d seen of God at work in my life?