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! 2 Corinthians 3:7-11
Change is never easy. The other day, I was looking at my work
routine, and realized there was something that I was not making enough time
for. Now I know how to incorporate changes
in my routine. That’s the easy
part. However, the challenge for me is
to do something new. How can a person with
a successful regular routine start to do something new? Anyone who tries a new diet or starts an
exercise routine knows that the journey is easy to start but challenging to
consistently continue or finish. It was
in that I focused on those things that God makes new; namely me! The day I was born again meant that I was
made new. However as I look back, I am
far different from the person I was then.
So perhaps trusting God to change me was the ‘new’ then, and knowing God
intimately is the ‘new’ today, and in the future, I will find another ‘new.’
God continually makes old things
new. We spend a great deal of time
focused on the words of God. That may
very well be the ‘new’ part of a follower’s journey. Perhaps it is how the word changes one’s
heart, or it could be acting on God’s prompting sooner. Maybe you might be at a stage where you’ve
done all that, and are trying to prayerfully figure out what is next. All of this is change inspired by God, and it
is important to take a moment to stop, pause, and reflect on what God is doing in
your life. Think about where you were
when you gave your life to Him. How
about the last greatest challenge where hope seemed lost and you thought you’d
lost faith. Maybe you are thinking about
the first time you trusted God and He showed His faithfulness. We have all grown to know God better, and
proof of that is looking back to know how He has shaped us step by step. That is exciting stuff!
Surety of eternal life through
Jesus Christ is truly the best change ever!
I love Paul’s excitement in today’s verses telling us of both our sad
punishment and God’s grace. As we focus
on the law that sentenced us to death, through Christ, we are given a new life
that with greater faith and growth changes us into new people willing to follow
Him out of love. Let us rejoice over an
awesome God who continually changes us to resemble the one who saved us in the
very beginning; Jesus Christ. What
changes in your life would you like to give thanks to God? How can your encourage another’s change
through sharing your transformation? My
prayer is that we celebrate God’s grace that continually makes old things
new. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment