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EXODUS 34:29-35

2 CORINTHIANS 3:12-18

LUKE 9:28-36

REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “Let the glory of the Lord shine.” The glory of the Lord is the is manifestation of His presence as perceived by human beings. The theme can therefore be rephrased as experiencing the manifestation of God’s presence in your life. The theme presents  two important points for our reflection:

1. The glory of the Lord is experienced through a personal relationship with Him.

2. Without prayer and the Word of God(Christ) we cannot continually experience the glory of God.

Firstly, for the glory of God to shine upon us, we must avail ourselves to serve God and have a personal relationship with Him. It is important to note that God does not manifest His glory through one known way, He is able to manifest His presence through different means. In the first Scripture reading, we read that “Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining…” (Exodus 34:34-35). Similarly, when Peter, John and James followed Jesus they also experienced the Glory of God, thus “…Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. (Luke 9:32). My dear friend, God manifests His presence in the lives of believers who have a personal relationship with Him and are willing to trust, obey and serve Him. God manifested His glory or presence to Samuel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Joseph, Mary and many others who yearned to respond to His call, have a personal relationship with Him and to serve Him with all their minds, hearts, bodies and spirits. Do you you want to experience the glory of God in your life? How committed are you in your relationship with the Lord?

Secondly, to continually experience the Glory of the Lord in our lives, we need to make time for prayer, hear and obey His Word. Peter, John and James accompanied Jesus to pray on the mountain and in the process of praying with the Lord, they experience the glory of God. Although along the line the disciples were heavy with sleep, they experienced the Glory of the Lord because they were with Christ who was actively praying to God. Let us not be lazy with our prayer lives, we must be determined and zealous in prayer because “…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27). Be determined in your faith, be purposeful in your will and the Holy Spirit will empower you to experience the glory of God through prayer. 

Equally important, is the role of the Word of God in experiencing the glory of God. John 1:1-4 makes us aware that Jesus is the Word of God and this had been further confirmed in the third Scripture reading when “a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” ( Luke 9:34-35). We cannot continue to experience God’s glory if we refuse to listening to Christ or refuse to accepting Him as our Lord and Saviour. It is for this reason, Paul admonishes us through his letter to the Corinthians that the veil of ignorance or lack of knowledge of God will prevents us from experiencing the glory of the Lord. Paul said “But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:16-18). In other words, there is a spiritual veil cast upon anyone who cannot see the glory of God but with Christ in his or her life the veil shall be removed for the glory of God to shine upon the person. Praise the Lord!. With Christ in our lives we are able to experience the manifestation of God’s presence through miracles and wonders, wherever we find ourselves as believers. 

In summary, the glory of the Lord is experienced through a personal relationship with Him. Again, the glory of the Lord continually shines upon us through prayer and obedience to Jesus who is the manifestation of God’s Word. May the Holy Spirit empower us to continually experience God’s glory in our lives. Amen.

Jean-Paul Agidi (Rev)