September 20

“Our work is to ‘behold the glory of the Lord,’ and, as we behold, the Lord effects the marvelous transformation, and we are changed into his likeness....The real glory of the Lord is the glory of what he is and what he does, the glory of character.”  Hannah Whitall Smith, Daily Secrets, 9/16

We are to behold God’s character--that is His glory. God is love.  He is faithful.  He is everything that is good and lovely.  In addition to being powerful and just He is merciful.   It’s interesting to me that we humans already know that what we “behold” has a huge effect on us.  We are continually cautioning ourselves about the movies/TV we watch or the magazines we look at.  We are well aware of the effects of advertising on people.  Yet when it comes to God we feel it’s our works that make us more like Christ.  To simply “behold God’s glory” doesn’t seem enough for most Christians--we always feel as though we should be doing things.  That is partially correct.  The problem is the order.  We are to be doing things, but not in order to be more spiritual or to look like Christ.  When people finally wake up to the fact that all their “doing” is motivated by their desire to maintain control over their lives then they will be able to see what beholding God is all about. 

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”  2 Corinthians 3:18