The story of Moses is so fascinating to me. Through his story, we are introduced to God in a very personal way. We start to see glimpses of His character through His interactions with Moses. Not only do we see God’s power and authority, but we also see His compassion, mercy, and patience. However, the highlight of Moses' relationship with God is that he is able to behold His glory and see Him face to face. The encounter Moses had with God on the mountaintop changed him, not only spiritually, but physically. His look changed after experiencing the living God in person: “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him” (Exodus 34:29-30).
After speaking with God, Moses spoke with authority to the Israelites about all that God had told him. He was uncompromising in his behavior when it came to the Lord’s commands.
Have you ever seen a complete stranger and thought to yourself, "I bet that person is a believer?" There is something about the light in their eyes, their manner, how they speak and act toward others. A person like that is manifesting the glory of God through their actions. They are showing the light of Christ in a very real and tangible way which not only showcases the glory of God, but brings Him glory.
Years ago, our family went to a Christmas tree farm for our annual trip to select a Christmas tree. Anyone who lives in the northeast knows that as idyllic as going to pick out a Christmas tree can be, each family member has a different opinion on the perfect Christmas tree. As a result, you can find yourself wandering around the farm for quite a while. In the meantime, your toes feel frost bitten and all the trees start looking the same. Tempers can become a little short as a result. At that time, my husband was a pastor whose ministry was standing in for churches without a pastor. Through that ministry, he had served at many different congregations in our area.
Well, this particular year, our family actually ran into another family from a church my husband had preached at. After they left, I said to my husband, “Boy, aren’t you glad we were all behaving this year?” We both laughed, but the reality is, what if my husband, my children, and I were acting ugly toward each other? What kind of impression would that have left on the family we saw of the pastor that came and filled in at their church? We certainly would not have been bringing God glory, and we certainly would not have been showcasing the glory of God as people who practiced what they preached.
Demonstrating the glory of God doesn’t just apply to those in ministry, but to all of those who call themselves Christ followers. You never know who is watching you. Remember the saying, “You may be the only Bible someone reads."
Let’s look at ways to ensure that we act like someone who has been with God, one who not only brings Him glory, but shows His glory in all that is said and done.
My sweet granddaughter has a glow-in-the-dark binky. I love bringing her into her dark room to put her down for a nap and seeing that sweet face lit up by the glow of her binky. However, after her nap, the binky no longer glows because it’s been in a dark room for a couple hours. As we all know, in order for something that glows in the dark to glow, it first has to be exposed to light for a while.
As believers, unless we spend time in the Word daily, we will not capture enough “light” to show God’s glory in all that we think, do, and say. We will instead behave like those who are in darkness.
The Word of God is what not only lights our path, but lights our countenance. "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18). By spending time in God’s Word, we are allowing it to change us to be more Christlike, demonstrating God’s glory to all who we encounter.
Let us allow the Word of God to manifest the glory of God through our behavior.
Dying to self is not easy. We seem to be selfish by nature. I don’t know if this is a form of self-preservation, but our natural bent is selfishness. Charles Spurgeon touches on man’s fallen state and the glory of God in his Morning and Evening devotional which articulates this well: “God’s great design in all his works is the manifestation of His own glory. Any aim less than this were unworthy of Himself. But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are? Man’s eye is not single, he has ever a side glance towards his own honour, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted.”
The Lord may send circumstances into our lives that leave us no choice but to die to self, whether it be showing us our weakness where we thought we were strong or a situation that brings us to the end of ourselves and we have no choice but to depend on God.
The quicker we die to self, allowing God to be our strength and provision, the more His glory will have opportunity to show itself in a mighty way. Think about it, the Lord desires for us to depend on Him and Him alone. He wants to be our Helper. He is very clear about that in Scripture. I find that I’m shaking my head at myself as to why
I don’t do this as my go-to. Can you relate? It’s so simple, yet we make it so complicated because of self.
Let’s allow God’s glory to shine through our behavior by showcasing that it is His strength, His help, and His provision that carries us.
No one likes to suffer. It’s probably the one thing we fear the most in life. Yet suffering comes to all of us at one time or another, sometimes converging with all manner of pain where you feel like Job.
I am in one of those Job-like seasons now. I don’t think I have ever suffered physically, emotionally, and financially as much as I have these last six weeks. I’ll be honest, I am not suffering well. There is no glory of God shining forth from me recently. Nope! Instead, I have been complaining, resentful, and, frankly, angry. Great example, I know… (sarcasm)! Finally, I confessed and asked the Lord to help me with my attitude. As the Lord always does, He ministered to me in a lovely way through His Word - His patience with me, amazing! I felt convicted to read Scripture first thing in the morning in addition to my afternoon reading. I can already see a difference in my attitude. It’s still a work in progress, but starting the day with the Lord, experiencing Him continuing to minister to my suffering through His Word, I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner!
Suffering well doesn’t mean that you are happy about your circumstances. It doesn’t mean that you look forward to suffering. It doesn’t even mean that you won’t struggle in your suffering. What it does mean is that you keep your eyes on Christ and allow His light to reflect His glory off of you. When others talk to you, they won’t hear you complaining about your circumstances. Instead, they will hear you give glory to God by telling of all that He is doing for you despite your circumstances. And then when the Lord brings your deliverance, your face will shine like Moses, and God’s glory will manifest through you. How great will be the glory coming out of such a trying time!
May our first response in suffering immediately be to “look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2) so that, like Jesus, we will endure for the joy set before us so that God’s glory manifests through our behavior.
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Karen Del Tatto is a blogger, author, women's ministry leader, pastor's wife, mom, and grandmother who is passionate about the Word of God. Her blog Growing Together in Grace and Knowledge and her books Choosing to Trust God: Breaking the Habit of Worry, A 30-Day Devotional and Choosing to Trust God Companion Journal reveal her heart for providing Biblical insights to encourage women to grow in and through their struggles while equipping them to overcome. Karen and her husband live in Rhode Island and enjoy walks in the woods, owling, and spending time with their grandchildren.